Adidas, Puma, New Balance on high alert as Barcelona’s ties with Nike worsen – report

Barcelona are experiencing a sporting crisis right now, following a series of disappointing results.

But other than their on-field problems, the club are also dealing with an economic crisis, which has put their contract with Nike in focus in recent weeks.

It was earlier reported that Barça and Nike are not seeing eye to eye over the contract, which does not expire until 2028.

The problem with Barcelona’s contract with Nike

A recent report from Diari ARA has shed more light on Barcelona’s touch-and-go relationship with Nike right now.

As per the report, Nike are paying Barcelona around €150 million, plus €50 million in add-ons. The contract was signed by Josep Maria Bartomeu and expires in 2028.

In recent times, Barcelona have started to raise issues with the contract, primarily because the club prefer more autonomy to sell its own products.

Under the current terms of the deal, that is not a possibility. The company also does not provide special products to Barça anymore, such as the special ball, among other things.

This comes at a time when Barcelona are looking to venture far beyond the game of football. The club are already heavily involved in the Basketball sport. Not to mention, the club are unhappy at Nike over the company’s inventory management.

Barcelona can exit deal, other companies on high alert

As per the report, Barcelona have an option to bypass the terms of the deal, which could be a massive development, as far as the club are concerned.

This has especially put other companies on high alert. Apparel giants such as Puma, New Balance and Adidas are keeping close track of Barça’s severed relationship with Nike.

While it will still require massive paperwork for Barcelona to bypass the contract, the sheer possibility of it, coupled with Barça’s changing economic strategies could tempt the club to ideate on potential probabilities going forward.