Barcelona banking on ‘private model’ of jersey-manufacturing to unlock more sponsorships

Barcelona’s fractured relationship with Nike has been the talk of the town in Catalonia lately, with the club reportedly considering terminating the contract with the American apparel giants.

It is no secret that Puma are keen on taking advantage of the Nike-Barça breakup and are even willing to hand the Catalans a lucrative contract.

Even the PUMA CEO was in Barcelona lately to hold important discussions with the Barcelona representatives led by President Joan Laporta.

Barcelona maintain good harmony with Puma

In the Mas Que Pelotas podcast, Spanish journalist Adrian Sanchez has reiterated Barcelona maintain an excellent relationship with Puma.

The German apparel manufacturing giant appears to be the frontrunner in the race to replace Nike. Puma already makes shirts for European giants such as Manchester City, AC Milan, and Borussia Dortmund and have a strong foothold in the market.

A partnership with Puma could boost Barcelona’s economic prospects while handing the club some much-needed freshens in terms of its kit designs.

Private model to unlock more opportunities

Although Puma are waiting in line, it is no secret that Barcelona are also exploring a model where the club can distribute its very own shirts.

A proposal from Hummel is already on the table, with the Danish sports brand ready to make and distribute Barça shirts from next season. A contract with Hummel will allow Barcelona to earn a bigger chunk of the pie while retaining more control.

In fact, Sanchez suggests that Barcelona are banking on the success of this private model to open up more sponsorship opportunities – one aside from Puma and the likes.

There are, after all, several other competitive players in this space, including New Balance and Adidas, although the latter is likely to stay out due to their contractual ties with Real Madrid.