Aston Villa, the English Premier League soccer club, has confirmed a new multi-year kit supply deal with German sportswear giant adidas.
The brand will take over as the Midlands side’s kit manufacturer from the 2024-25 campaign, ending Villa’s association with Castore after two controversial seasons.
Adidas will supply match kits and training wear to all men’s, women’s, and junior teams in what is claimed to be the biggest kit deal in the club’s history.
The announcement comes after Villa recently secured qualification to European club soccer’s elite UEFA Champions League next season.
Villa initially agreed a “multi-year” deal with Castore ahead of the 2022-23 season, but players complained about the quality of the kits, with some arguing the brand's “wet look” kits were ineffective in absorbing sweat and weighed players down, potentially affecting on-field performance.
The club’s chairman and co-owner Nassef Sawiris owns a stake in Adidas and was appointed supervisory director of its German business in 2016.
It is unknown whether the deal was initially set to expire at the end of the 2023-24 season, or if Villa has exercised a get-out clause in the contract as fellow Premier League side Newcastle United did earlier in the year.
In September 2023, Newcastle revealed it would return to Adidas for the 2024-25 campaign onward after having been partnered with Castore since the beginning of the 2021-22 season.
Newcastle’s deal with Castore was set to run until 2027.
In the Premier League, Adidas also has kit supply deals with Arsenal, Fulham, Manchester United, and Nottingham Forest.
The German firm agreed a 10-year renewal with Manchester United last year worth a minimum of £900 million ($1.1 billion), or £90 million per season.
The Adidas tie-up is Villa’s second major commercial deal for next season after recently announcing a lucrative shirt sponsorship agreement with betting company Betano.
Betano will replace Asian betting brand BK8 in a two-year deal reportedly worth around £20 million per season.
Other Villa partners include the team’s sleeve sponsor, finance broker Trade Nation, and local company Homeserve Furniture Repairs.
Chris Heck, president of business operations at Aston Villa, said: “We believe we should be judged by the company we keep and so we are delighted to announce our partnership with Adidas. This partnership represents an exciting new chapter for Aston Villa as we look to position ourselves consistently amongst the top football clubs globally.
“The announcement of the partnership with Adidas, the biggest technical partnership in the club’s history, marks another milestone on the journey to grow our business on the global stage.”
