Germany, the new Adidas shirt is a sensational boomerang. “The 44 remembers the SS” –

Adidas, a well-known German sports clothing and footwear company, has banned fans from customizing the German national team shirt with the number 44 due to its similarity to the symbol used by the ‘Schutzstaffel’, better known by the acronym ‘SS ‘, or the paramilitary organization of the German National Socialist Party founded by Adolf Hitler. The online purchase of the shirt has meanwhile been banned. The German away kit has also sparked controversy due to its pink colour. Fans who appreciated it say it reflects the diversity of Germany, while critics argue that it is not traditional and that it is just a money raiser organized by the German Football Association (DFB).

“We as a company are committed to opposing xenophobia, anti-Semitism, violence and hatred in all forms, we will block the customization of the shirts,” said Adidas spokesman Oliver Brueggen who denied that the similarity of the kit with the Nazi symbols was intentional. Designed in 1929, the ‘SS’ rune has become synonymous with some of the worst crimes perpetrated by the Nazis. Members of the ‘SS’ were responsible for guarding the concentration camps, interrogating suspected traitors and running the extermination camps, including Auschwitz, where more than a million people were killed. From 14 June to 14 July Germany will host the seventeenth edition of the European Football Championships, which will be played in 10 different cities.