Chris Heck hails Aston Villa's 'milestone' Adidas kit deal
Club chief Chris Heck hailed “another milestone” after Villa’s kit deal with Adidas was finally confirmed.
The German manufacturer will replace Castore from the start of next season after agreeing a multi-year contract with the Champions League-bound club.
News of the deal, thought to be worth double Villa’s previous agreement with Castore, first emerged in January. Adidas will supply kit and training wear to both Villa’s men and women’s teams.
Heck, the club’s president of business operations, said: “We believe we should be judged by the company we keep and so we are delighted to announce our partnership with Adidas, one of the biggest and best sports brands in the world.
“This partnership represents an exciting new chapter for the club as we look to position ourselves consistently among the top football clubs globally.
“The announcement of the partnership with adidas, the biggest technical partnership in the club’s history, follows the announcement of our new front-of-shirt partner, Betano, a couple of weeks ago and marks another milestone on the journey to grow our business on the global stage.”
Castore have supplied Villa’s kits for the last two seasons but the deal has been cut short with players having complained earlier this season about the quality of the shirts.
The club are also desperate to boost revenues as they try to compete consistently with the Premier League’s top clubs.
Their sponsorship deal with Betano, whose logo will replace that of fellow gambling firm BK8 on the front of next season’s shirts, is worth £40million over the next two seasons.
Villa co-owner Nassef Sawiris owns around a seven per cent stake in Adidas and played a major role in the kit agreement.
Adidas global football general manager Nick Craggs said: “We are delighted to announce and share with fans adidas’ new partnership with Aston Villa.
“To partner with the club for the first time in our histories is a signpost for an ambitious future together; from the foundation of making the best product for both athlete and fan, to sharing stories and moments that will connect us with Aston Villa fans the world over.”
