Newcastle United officially presented their new third kit on Tuesday. The design is strongly reminiscent of the national team jersey of Saudi Arabia, which caused outrage among many fans.
A few weeks ago, a leak of Newcastle’s new third kit appeared online, which was greeted with little enthusiasm by many fans. The colors white and green, unusual for the Premier League club, as well as the overall design were strongly reminiscent of the Saudi Arabian home shirt. Now the shirt has been officially presented in that version.
The background: Last year, a Saudi consortium took over the majority of the traditional English club. Around 80 percent of this group of investors obtains their share from the state fund of Saudi Arabia. While some fans have celebrated the club’s newfound wealth, just as many supporters have disagreed with the influence of the controversial state.
Fans react mixed – Amnesty International warns once morest sportswashing
The green and white jersey was received with mixed feelings on social media following the official presentation. While some fans praise the design and are uninterested in its background, a large proportion of Newcastle supporters criticize the so-called sportswashing that is carried out with it. Companies or states that are publicly criticized try to use sport as a platform to advertise themselves and to push controversial situations into the background.
In the meantime, even the human rights organization Amnesty International has reported on the new jersey and its questionable background. “Newcastle United players and fans wearing the club’s new third kit are engaging in sportswashing and doing PR for Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman and his government,” the statement said.
(SkySportDE) / Picture: nufc.co.uk
