Soccer
Nike to supply Eng soccer kit
2012-09-03 14:33
London - Nike will supply the kit for England's national soccer team from next year, replacing the Umbro brand that Nike has put up for sale.
The five-year agreement will cover English soccer at all levels include the men's and women's national teams, as well as amateur and disabled squads, the English Football Association (FA) said on Monday.
Nike will also sponsor St George's Park, the FA's new national football centre.
No financial details were given.
Umbro, based in the northern English city of Manchester, had provided the England team kit for most of the last 60 years. Nike said in May it planned to sell it to focus on core brands.
Nike, the world's largest sporting goods company, entered the soccer market in 1994 and now rivals Germany's Adidas for top spot. Adidas has a market share of around 38 percent in soccer, against an estimated 36 percent for Nike.
The U.S. company is ensuring it holds on to its top partners after the Umbro sale. It said earlier this year it would take over the supply of kit for English premier league champions Manchester City from next year.