Germany Redesigning The Number Four On National Soccer Jerseys Amid Claims It Resembles Nazi Logo

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The German national soccer jersey, specifically the number four, will be undergoing a redesign due to claims of the digit resembling a logo used by Nazi paramilitary units during World War II. The German national team jerseys are made by Adidas.

The announcement of the upcoming changes to the kit were made by the German Football Association (DFB) on Monday when users began to customize jerseys with the number ‘44’ on them and pointing out that the two combined digits drew a similarity to the Schutzstaffel, or SS logo.

The SS, founded by Adolf Hitler, was described as the Nazi Party's "political soldiers" and had a lightning-like logo, which some saw similarities between it and the 44 on the German national kit. The logo was so widely used that some German typewriters were produced with a stylized ‘SS’ key.

No player on the German men's or women's team currently wears the No. 44, but Adidas was allowing customers to personalize jerseys with any numbers between 0 and 99. It was the customized jerseys that caught attention with changes to come.

In DFB's statement on X, formerly Twitter, it explained that numbers 1 to 26 were submitted to UEFA for review and "none of the parties involved saw any proximity to Nazi symbolism in the creation process of the jersey design."

According to Reuters, Adidas spokesperson Oliver Bruggen told German media that the company would "block the number 44 as quickly as possible" and that "as a company we actively oppose xenophobia, anti-Semitism, violence and hatred in any form."

The controversy involving Adidas and the German national team comes less than two weeks after the DFB announced that NIKE would be taking over as the team's shirt supplier starting in 2027. Adidas had been in the role since the 1950s, providing kits for either Germany or West Germany.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.