Number four on Germany jerseys to be redesigned over Nazi symbolism

The design for the number four on Germany’s national team shirts will be changed over concerns that the number ‘44’ resembled the symbol used by Nazi ‘SS’ units, the German Football Association (DFB) said on Monday.

The new kit, launched before Germany hosts the European Championship in June and July, debuted during its 2-0 friendly win over France last month.

“The DFB checks the numbers 0-9 and then submits the numbers 1-26 to UEFA for review. None of the parties involved saw any proximity to Nazi symbolism in the creation process of the jersey design,” the DFB said in a statement on X.

“Nevertheless, we take the comments very seriously and do not want to provide a platform for discussions… we will develop an alternative design for the number 4 and coordinate it with UEFA.”

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The DFB’s official supplier Adidas had earlier said that it would remove the number 44 from its range of customisation options.

“We will block the number 44 as quickly as possible,” Adidas spokesman Oliver Bruggen told German media. “As a company, we actively oppose xenophobia, anti-Semitism, violence and hatred in any form.”