The European Union's second highest court ruled on Wednesday that Adidas's three-stripe branding was invalid as a trademark as it lacked a distinctive character.

The General Court of the European Union said it upheld a decision of the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in 2016 to annul a previous decision to accept the mark.

The German sports goods company registered the trademark in 2014 for clothing, footwear and headgear, saying it consisted of "three parallel equidistant stripes of equal width applied to the product in whichever direction."

However, it was challenged by Belgian company Shoe Branding Europe, with which Adidas has been in a decade-long dispute.

An EU court rendered Shoe Branding's two-stripe trademark invalid last year saying the stripes were too similar to the trademark of Adidas.

Adidas needed to show the mark had acquired a "distinctive character" throughout the European Union based on its use so that consumers inherently knew a product was from Adidas and could distinguish it from products of another company.

The court said the mark was not a pattern but an "ordinary figurative mark" and it was not relevant to take into account specific uses involving colours.

It also said Adidas had provided evidence related to the mark's use in five EU countries but not throughout the bloc.

Adidas can still appeal to the European Court of Justice.

The European Union's second highest court ruled on Wednesday that Adidas's three-stripe branding was invalid as a trademark as it lacked a distinctive character.

The European Union's second highest court ruled on Wednesday that Adidas's three-stripe branding was invalid as a trademark as it lacked a distinctive character. The General Court of the European Union said it upheld a decision of the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in 2016 to annul a previous decision to accept the mark. The German sports goods company registered the trademark in 2014 for clothing, footwear and headgear, saying it consisted of "three parallel equidistant stripes of equal width applied to the product in whichever direction." However, it was challenged by Belgian company Shoe Branding Europe, with which Adidas has been in a decade-long dispute. An EU court rendered Shoe Branding's two-stripe trademark invalid last year saying the stripes were too similar to the trademark of Adidas. Adidas needed to show the mark had acquired a "distinctive character" throughout the European Union based on its use so that consumers inherently knew a product was from Adidas and could distinguish it from products of another company. The court said the mark was not a pattern but an "ordinary figurative mark" and it was not relevant to take into account specific uses involving colours. It also said Adidas had provided evidence related to the mark's use in five EU countries but not throughout the bloc. Adidas can still appeal to the European Court of Justice.

EU court declares Adidas three-stripe trademark invalid

German sportswear group Puma reported a record quarter in sales and earnings on Friday, driven by healthy demand in China and the Americas after it reentered the basketball market.

Puma has been growing faster than its bigger German rival Adidas and market leader Nike, helped by savvy social media campaigns and partnerships with celebrities like singers Selena Gomez and Rihanna and rap mogul Jay-Z.

Nike last month reported quarterly revenue that failed to beat Wall Street estimates for the first time in more than a year, as sales fell short of expectations in its biggest market of North America, sending its shares tumbling 5 per cent.

Puma's first-quarter sales rose a currency-adjusted 15.3 percent to 1.32 billion euros ($1.47 billion), versus an analyst consensus for 1.3 billion.

Operating profit came in at 143 million euros versus a consensus forecast of 139 million.

"The first quarter of 2019 was the best quarter PUMA has ever seen," Chief Executive Bjorn Gulden said in a statement, adding that revenue and absolute operating profit were the highest it had ever achieved.

Still, Puma held off raising its guidance for the full year, which analysts regard as conservative

"Even if we have nine more months to go and despite a lot of uncertainty in the market, we feel comfortable that we will achieve our guidance for the full year," Gulden said.

Puma has forecast currency-adjusted sales growth of about 10 per cent and operating profit of 395-415 million euros.

Adidas has forecast currency-neutral group sales growth of 5-8 per cent in 2019 as it grapples with supply issues, while Nike expects sales to grow in the low double digits.

Puma's first-quarter sales rose a currency-adjusted 28.6 per cent in Asia, and 16.3 per cent in the Americas, helped by Puma's launch of its first basketball shoe in 20 years in September.

German sportswear group Puma reported a record quarter in sales and earnings on Friday, driven by healthy demand in China and the Americas after it reentered the basketball market.

German sportswear group Puma reported a record quarter in sales and earnings on Friday, driven by healthy demand in China and the Americas after it reentered the basketball market. Puma has been growing faster than its bigger German rival Adidas and market leader Nike, helped by savvy social media campaigns and partnerships with celebrities like singers Selena Gomez and Rihanna and rap mogul Jay-Z. Nike last month reported quarterly revenue that failed to beat Wall Street estimates for the first time in more than a year, as sales fell short of expectations in its biggest market of North America, sending its shares tumbling 5 per cent. Puma's first-quarter sales rose a currency-adjusted 15.3 percent to 1.32 billion euros ($1.47 billion), versus an analyst consensus for 1.3 billion. Operating profit came in at 143 million euros versus a consensus forecast of 139 million. "The first quarter of 2019 was the best quarter PUMA has ever seen," Chief Executive Bjorn Gulden said in a statement, adding that revenue and absolute operating profit were the highest it had ever achieved. Still, Puma held off raising its guidance for the full year, which analysts regard as conservative "Even if we have nine more months to go and despite a lot of uncertainty in the market, we feel comfortable that we will achieve our guidance for the full year," Gulden said. Puma has forecast currency-adjusted sales growth of about 10 per cent and operating profit of 395-415 million euros. Adidas has forecast currency-neutral group sales growth of 5-8 per cent in 2019 as it grapples with supply issues, while Nike expects sales to grow in the low double digits. Puma's first-quarter sales rose a currency-adjusted 28.6 per cent in Asia, and 16.3 per cent in the Americas, helped by Puma's launch of its first basketball shoe in 20 years in September.

Puma reports 'best ever' quarter for sales and profit, beating Adidas and Nike

Premier League football club Arsenal has officially announced that Adidas will take over as its kit provider from the start of next season, effective July 1, 2019.

Adidas will take over the sponsorship title from competitor Puma, whose five-year contract with the North London club expires at the end of the season.&nbsp;

Arsenal last wore Adidas' kit between 1986 and 1994, during which they lifted two top-flight league titles.

The three stripped Adidas logo will don the Arsenal Football Club (Senior, Junior and women's team) jersey and training gear from July 2019, the release added.&nbsp;

Premier League football club Arsenal has officially announced that Adidas will take over as its kit provider from the start of next season, effective July 1, 2019.

Premier League football club Arsenal has officially announced that Adidas will take over as its kit provider from the start of next season, effective July 1, 2019. Adidas will take over the sponsorship title from competitor Puma, whose five-year contract with the North London club expires at the end of the season. Arsenal last wore Adidas' kit between 1986 and 1994, during which they lifted two top-flight league titles. The three stripped Adidas logo will don the Arsenal Football Club (Senior, Junior and women's team) jersey and training gear from July 2019, the release added.

Arsenal to don Adidas jersey starting July 2019

Puma expects gross margins to be squeezed by discounting in the fourth quarter, despite a new collection from singer Rihanna helping the German sportswear company raise its 2017 sales and operating earnings outlook.

Puma said on Tuesday that third-quarter sales rose a currency-adjusted 23 percent in Europe, Middle East and Africa, 16 percent in the Americas and 10 percent in Asia/Pacific.

Like its German rival Adidas, which reports results on Nov. 9, Puma has been enjoying a revival in the U.S. market, as shoppers snap up its retro styles instead of basketball shoes, hurting Under Armour and Nike.

&quot;Rihanna&#39;s relationship with us makes the brand actual and hot again with young consumers,&quot; Chief Executive Bjorn Gulden told a media call, adding that growth in Puma&#39;s gear for women was outstripping other areas of the business.

Puma, which was bought by French luxury goods company Kering in 2007, had been struggling for years, but analysts expect Kering could seek to sell its stake in the course of 2018 now that the German brand is performing well again.

Gulden cautioned that fourth-quarter gross margins could be weaker due to heavy discounting, particularly in the United States where retailers are struggling, and in Europe, due to mild weather deterring shoppers from buying winter gear.

Nike last month posted its slowest quarterly sales growth in nearly seven years in the face of intensifying competition from Adidas and Puma and a looming price war amid retailers.

DUAL TRACK

Puma shares, which had jumped last week after the company hiked its outlook, were down 2 percent at 0818 GMT. Its market capitalisation is now 5.3 billion euros ($6.23 billion), back at the level at which Kering bought it.

Kering is expected to pursue a dual track initial public offering-auction to spin off Puma next year, not before, the Business of Fashion website reported, citing investment bankers in Paris and London.

Gulden said he had not heard anything about a possible sale, noting there have been repeated media reports suggesting a Kering disposal is imminent in recent years.

Puma said growth had been driven in particular by footwear, with sales up a currency adjusted 23 percent, and accessories, which rose 24 percent, while sales of apparel were up 8 percent.

Puma said its retro &quot;Basket Heart&quot; sneakers and &quot;Ignite Limitless&quot; running shoes were particularly popular and women&#39;s sales were helped by a Rihanna collection launched in September as well as a partnership with singer and actress Selena Gomez.

Puma named Rihanna as its women&#39;s creative director in 2014 as sportswear firms seek to tap into the booming market for female leisure gear, which Gulden said now accounts for about a third of its business although women also buy unisex products.

Like its German rival Adidas, which reports results on Nov. 9, Puma has been enjoying a revival in the U.S. market, as shoppers snap up its retro styles instead of basketball shoes, hurting Under Armour and Nike.

Puma expects gross margins to be squeezed by discounting in the fourth quarter, despite a new collection from singer Rihanna helping the German sportswear company raise its 2017 sales and operating earnings outlook. Puma said on Tuesday that third-quarter sales rose a currency-adjusted 23 percent in Europe, Middle East and Africa, 16 percent in the Americas and 10 percent in Asia/Pacific. Like its German rival Adidas, which reports results on Nov. 9, Puma has been enjoying a revival in the U.S. market, as shoppers snap up its retro styles instead of basketball shoes, hurting Under Armour and Nike. "Rihanna's relationship with us makes the brand actual and hot again with young consumers," Chief Executive Bjorn Gulden told a media call, adding that growth in Puma's gear for women was outstripping other areas of the business. Puma, which was bought by French luxury goods company Kering in 2007, had been struggling for years, but analysts expect Kering could seek to sell its stake in the course of 2018 now that the German brand is performing well again. Gulden cautioned that fourth-quarter gross margins could be weaker due to heavy discounting, particularly in the United States where retailers are struggling, and in Europe, due to mild weather deterring shoppers from buying winter gear. Nike last month posted its slowest quarterly sales growth in nearly seven years in the face of intensifying competition from Adidas and Puma and a looming price war amid retailers. DUAL TRACK Puma shares, which had jumped last week after the company hiked its outlook, were down 2 percent at 0818 GMT. Its market capitalisation is now 5.3 billion euros ($6.23 billion), back at the level at which Kering bought it. Kering is expected to pursue a dual track initial public offering-auction to spin off Puma next year, not before, the Business of Fashion website reported, citing investment bankers in Paris and London. Gulden said he had not heard anything about a possible sale, noting there have been repeated media reports suggesting a Kering disposal is imminent in recent years. Puma said growth had been driven in particular by footwear, with sales up a currency adjusted 23 percent, and accessories, which rose 24 percent, while sales of apparel were up 8 percent. Puma said its retro "Basket Heart" sneakers and "Ignite Limitless" running shoes were particularly popular and women's sales were helped by a Rihanna collection launched in September as well as a partnership with singer and actress Selena Gomez. Puma named Rihanna as its women's creative director in 2014 as sportswear firms seek to tap into the booming market for female leisure gear, which Gulden said now accounts for about a third of its business although women also buy unisex products.

Puma relishes Rihanna brand impact, fears discounts

German sportswear giant Adidas sparked a social media outcry Tuesday after sending an email congratulating runners in the Boston Marathon for having &quot;survived&quot; the race.

The choice of words jarred as memories remain fresh of the 2013 deadly bombing of the event in the Massachusetts city.

&quot;Congrats, you survived the Boston Marathon!&quot; Adidas said in the subject line of an email it sent to the 26,492 participants who finished the annual race Monday.

The email instantly set off a furor on social media, where many people published screen grabs of the email and denounced its offensive nature.

The official Twitter account of Adidas North America, with the handle @adidasUS, rushed to apologise.

&quot;We are incredibly sorry. Clearly, there was no thought given to the insensitive email subject line we sent Tuesday,&quot; it tweeted.

&quot;We deeply apologize for our mistake.&quot;

On April 15, 2013, two brothers of Chechen descent, Tamerlan and Dzokhar Tsarnaev, planted pressure-cooker bombs near the Boston Marathon finish line, killing three people and injuring 264 others.

On Monday, Geoffrey Kirui and Edna Kiplagat led a Kenyan clean sweep at the 121st Boston Marathon, winning the respective men&#39;s and women&#39;s races.

The Boston Marathon is the world&#39;s oldest annual marathon and one of the most prestigious races over the distance of just over 26 miles (42 kilometres) on the athletics calendar.

(AFP)

'Congrats, you survived the Boston Marathon!' jarred as memories remain fresh of the 2013 deadly bombing of the event

German sportswear giant Adidas sparked a social media outcry Tuesday after sending an email congratulating runners in the Boston Marathon for having "survived" the race. The choice of words jarred as memories remain fresh of the 2013 deadly bombing of the event in the Massachusetts city. "Congrats, you survived the Boston Marathon!" Adidas said in the subject line of an email it sent to the 26,492 participants who finished the annual race Monday. The email instantly set off a furor on social media, where many people published screen grabs of the email and denounced its offensive nature. The official Twitter account of Adidas North America, with the handle @adidasUS, rushed to apologise. "We are incredibly sorry. Clearly, there was no thought given to the insensitive email subject line we sent Tuesday," it tweeted. "We deeply apologize for our mistake." On April 15, 2013, two brothers of Chechen descent, Tamerlan and Dzokhar Tsarnaev, planted pressure-cooker bombs near the Boston Marathon finish line, killing three people and injuring 264 others. On Monday, Geoffrey Kirui and Edna Kiplagat led a Kenyan clean sweep at the 121st Boston Marathon, winning the respective men's and women's races. The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon and one of the most prestigious races over the distance of just over 26 miles (42 kilometres) on the athletics calendar. (AFP)

Adidas sparks furor with Boston Marathon 'survivor' email

Adidas launched a new sneaker with a 3D-printed sole that it plans to mass-produce next year. This new move is part of a broader push by the German sportswear firm to react faster to changing fashions and create more customised products.

Adidas already lets people customise the colour and pattern of shoes ordered online but new 3D printing methods will make small production runs, limited edition shoes and even soles designed to fit an individual&#39;s weight and gait economical.

Rivals Nike, Under Armour and New Balance have also been experimenting with 3D printing but have so far only used the technique to make prototypes, soles tailored for sponsored athletes and a handful of high-priced novelty shoes.

That&#39;s because traditional 3D printers are slower, more expensive and often create an inferior product than the injection moulds for plastic that are currently used to produce hundreds of millions of shoes each year, mostly in Asia.

However, Adidas says its new partnership with Silicon Valley start-up Carbon allows it to overcome many of those difficulties to produce a sole that can rival one made by an injection mould, and at a speed and price that allow for mass production.

&quot;This is a milestone not only for us as a company but also for the industry,&quot; said Gerd Manz, Adidas head of technology innovation, announcing the launch of its new &quot;Futurecraft 4D&quot; shoe. &quot;We&#39;ve cracked some of the boundaries.&quot;

Carbon, financed by venture firms such as Sequoia Capital as well as funds set up by General Electric and Alphabet&#39;s Google, has pioneered a technique that prints with light-sensitive polymer resin that is then baked for strength.

Standard 3D printers build up products with layers of plastic powder, a method used by Hewlett Packard which is working with Nike and says its newest machines work 10 times faster and at half the cost than earlier models.

Adidas hopes to sell 5,000 pairs of its &quot;Futurecraft 4D&quot; this year, and 100,000 next year as Carbon cuts the time it takes to print a sole from the current hour and a half to as low as 20 minutes per sole.

The shoes will sell at an unspecified premium price but Adidas plans to lower the cost as the technology develops.

Late last year Adidas sold a few hundred pairs of running shoes with soles made by regular 3D printing for $333 but they were relatively rigid and heavy and took 10 hours to print.

&ldquo;Walk before you run&rdquo;

Carbon&#39;s technology will allow Adidas to make small batches of shoes far more quickly. Small production runs were not economical before as the metal moulds for most soles need to be used 10,000 times to pay for themselves, and they take four to six weeks to cast and grind.

&quot;What you can do is introduce more types of products without a cost penalty,&quot; said Terry Wohlers, head of Wohlers Associates, a US consultancy specialising in 3D printing. &quot;With this technology, you can produce one or a few inexpensively.&quot;

Wohlers expects the 3D printing industry to more than quadruple sales to $26 billion by 2022, driven mostly by the automotive, medical, dental and jewellery sectors.

Adidas initially plans batches of shoes tailored to specific sports or cities but hopes consumers will eventually be measured and tested in store to design perfectly-fitting shoes tweaked for an individual&#39;s gait, weight and type of sport.

&quot;Individualisation will come, but you&#39;ve got to learn to walk before you run,&quot; Manz said, citing a survey that shows 80 percent of consumers want to be part of the design process.

Adidas last month experimented with a pop-up store where customers could design a custom-fitted sweater and have it knitted in the store.

3D printing will also help cut the time it takes to get new designs to stores from the 12 to 18 months it usually takes for sneakers. To that end, Adidas is also opening factories mainly operated by robots in Germany and the United States.

(Reuters)

Adidas will sell the shoes at an unspecified premium price, but it plans to lower the cost as the technology develops

Adidas launched a new sneaker with a 3D-printed sole that it plans to mass-produce next year. This new move is part of a broader push by the German sportswear firm to react faster to changing fashions and create more customised products. Adidas already lets people customise the colour and pattern of shoes ordered online but new 3D printing methods will make small production runs, limited edition shoes and even soles designed to fit an individual's weight and gait economical. Rivals Nike, Under Armour and New Balance have also been experimenting with 3D printing but have so far only used the technique to make prototypes, soles tailored for sponsored athletes and a handful of high-priced novelty shoes. That's because traditional 3D printers are slower, more expensive and often create an inferior product than the injection moulds for plastic that are currently used to produce hundreds of millions of shoes each year, mostly in Asia. However, Adidas says its new partnership with Silicon Valley start-up Carbon allows it to overcome many of those difficulties to produce a sole that can rival one made by an injection mould, and at a speed and price that allow for mass production. "This is a milestone not only for us as a company but also for the industry," said Gerd Manz, Adidas head of technology innovation, announcing the launch of its new "Futurecraft 4D" shoe. "We've cracked some of the boundaries." Carbon, financed by venture firms such as Sequoia Capital as well as funds set up by General Electric and Alphabet's Google, has pioneered a technique that prints with light-sensitive polymer resin that is then baked for strength. Standard 3D printers build up products with layers of plastic powder, a method used by Hewlett Packard which is working with Nike and says its newest machines work 10 times faster and at half the cost than earlier models. Adidas hopes to sell 5,000 pairs of its "Futurecraft 4D" this year, and 100,000 next year as Carbon cuts the time it takes to print a sole from the current hour and a half to as low as 20 minutes per sole. The shoes will sell at an unspecified premium price but Adidas plans to lower the cost as the technology develops. Late last year Adidas sold a few hundred pairs of running shoes with soles made by regular 3D printing for $333 but they were relatively rigid and heavy and took 10 hours to print. “Walk before you run” Carbon's technology will allow Adidas to make small batches of shoes far more quickly. Small production runs were not economical before as the metal moulds for most soles need to be used 10,000 times to pay for themselves, and they take four to six weeks to cast and grind. "What you can do is introduce more types of products without a cost penalty," said Terry Wohlers, head of Wohlers Associates, a US consultancy specialising in 3D printing. "With this technology, you can produce one or a few inexpensively." Wohlers expects the 3D printing industry to more than quadruple sales to $26 billion by 2022, driven mostly by the automotive, medical, dental and jewellery sectors. Adidas initially plans batches of shoes tailored to specific sports or cities but hopes consumers will eventually be measured and tested in store to design perfectly-fitting shoes tweaked for an individual's gait, weight and type of sport. "Individualisation will come, but you've got to learn to walk before you run," Manz said, citing a survey that shows 80 percent of consumers want to be part of the design process. Adidas last month experimented with a pop-up store where customers could design a custom-fitted sweater and have it knitted in the store. 3D printing will also help cut the time it takes to get new designs to stores from the 12 to 18 months it usually takes for sneakers. To that end, Adidas is also opening factories mainly operated by robots in Germany and the United States. (Reuters)

Adidas to mass-produce 3D-printed shoe

German sportswear giant Adidas today ended its sponsorship of the IAAF in the wake of a doping scandal that has rocked the world of track and field.

Adidas&#39; 11-year sponsorship deal with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was set to run until 2019.

But it has withdrawn in the wake of an unprecedented corruption scandal that has seen senior former IAAF officials implicated in widespread bribery to keep quiet on positive tests by Russian athletes.

The IAAF said it &quot;thanks adidas for its long standing support of athletics and close partnership with the IAAF&quot;.

&quot;While our commercial relationship concludes at the end of 2016, the IAAF is pleased that adidas remains committed to athletics.&quot;

The IAAF added that it would &quot;shortly make an announcement of a new official IAAF partner in the same category&quot;.&nbsp;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The sportswear giant withdrew its sponsorship in the wake of an unprecedented corruption scandal in the world of track & field

German sportswear giant Adidas today ended its sponsorship of the IAAF in the wake of a doping scandal that has rocked the world of track and field. Adidas' 11-year sponsorship deal with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was set to run until 2019. But it has withdrawn in the wake of an unprecedented corruption scandal that has seen senior former IAAF officials implicated in widespread bribery to keep quiet on positive tests by Russian athletes. The IAAF said it "thanks adidas for its long standing support of athletics and close partnership with the IAAF". "While our commercial relationship concludes at the end of 2016, the IAAF is pleased that adidas remains committed to athletics." The IAAF added that it would "shortly make an announcement of a new official IAAF partner in the same category". (AFP)

Adidas ends sponsorship of doping-tainted IAAF

Switzerland winger Xherdan Shaqiri said he hoped sportswear maker Puma &quot;doesn&#39;t make condoms&quot; after several Swiss players ended their Euro 2016 match with France with shredded jerseys. 
 
The German company blamed a material flaw after four Swiss players -- Admir Mehmedi, Breel Embolo, Blerim Dzemaili and Granit Xhaka -- had to change their shirts in the first half of the goalless draw in Lille on Sunday. 
 
Recent Arsenal recruit Xhaka had to change his shirt again in the second half. 
 
&quot;I hope Puma doesn&#39;t make condoms,&quot; Shaqiri told Switzerland&#39;s SRF broadcaster. 
 
Former England striker Gary Lineker took the opportunity to poke fun on Twitter, writing: &quot;Swiss team&#39;s Puma shirts tearing like paper. Adidas ball bursting. You can never rely on German efficiency!&quot; 
 
During the same match, the Adidas ball used burst in a tackle by Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami. 
 
In a statement, Puma said that &quot;our five Puma teams have played 10 games at Euro 2016 before this without experiencing this problem&quot;. 
 
It later followed up to say that, in all, seven jerseys were ripped Sunday in &quot;grabbing and tugging by French opponents&quot; in the European Championship match. 
 
It said its investigation had found that &quot;there was a faulty batch of material in which the yarn was damaged during production&quot;. 
 
It blamed incorrect application of heat and pressure in the manufacturing process in a workshop in Turkey and promised that &quot;there will not be a repetition&quot; of the flaw. 
 
Puma is also the supplier for the teams of Austria, Czech Republic, Italy and Slovakia. 
 
All of them had &quot;confirmed that they had no problems of this kind and are very satisfied with the quality, functionality and design of the shirts,&quot; said the company. 
 
&quot;Puma regrets the incident and apologises to the Swiss Football Association and its players,&quot; it added. 
 
The Swiss shirts will be needed for at least one more match as the team has qualified for the second round. 
 
Puma&#39;s German rival Adidas said today that it had agreed a four-year deal to remain kit supplier to Germany until 2022, worth more than 50 million euros ($56.5 million) a year. 
 
The agreement with the world champions came in the face of competition from US giant Nike for the prestigious contract. 
(AFP)

Puma blamed for material flaw after four Swiss players had to change their shirts in the first half of the goalless draw in Lille on Sunday

Switzerland winger Xherdan Shaqiri said he hoped sportswear maker Puma "doesn't make condoms" after several Swiss players ended their Euro 2016 match with France with shredded jerseys. The German company blamed a material flaw after four Swiss players -- Admir Mehmedi, Breel Embolo, Blerim Dzemaili and Granit Xhaka -- had to change their shirts in the first half of the goalless draw in Lille on Sunday. Recent Arsenal recruit Xhaka had to change his shirt again in the second half. "I hope Puma doesn't make condoms," Shaqiri told Switzerland's SRF broadcaster. Former England striker Gary Lineker took the opportunity to poke fun on Twitter, writing: "Swiss team's Puma shirts tearing like paper. Adidas ball bursting. You can never rely on German efficiency!" During the same match, the Adidas ball used burst in a tackle by Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami. In a statement, Puma said that "our five Puma teams have played 10 games at Euro 2016 before this without experiencing this problem". It later followed up to say that, in all, seven jerseys were ripped Sunday in "grabbing and tugging by French opponents" in the European Championship match. It said its investigation had found that "there was a faulty batch of material in which the yarn was damaged during production". It blamed incorrect application of heat and pressure in the manufacturing process in a workshop in Turkey and promised that "there will not be a repetition" of the flaw. Puma is also the supplier for the teams of Austria, Czech Republic, Italy and Slovakia. All of them had "confirmed that they had no problems of this kind and are very satisfied with the quality, functionality and design of the shirts," said the company. "Puma regrets the incident and apologises to the Swiss Football Association and its players," it added. The Swiss shirts will be needed for at least one more match as the team has qualified for the second round. Puma's German rival Adidas said today that it had agreed a four-year deal to remain kit supplier to Germany until 2022, worth more than 50 million euros ($56.5 million) a year. The agreement with the world champions came in the face of competition from US giant Nike for the prestigious contract. (AFP)

?'I hope Puma don't make condoms' says Shaqiri

German sportswear firm Puma is not worried about the possible imminent retirement of Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, the highest profile athlete it sponsors, believing Bolt could be just as valuable off the track. 
 
&quot;Usain is part of the Puma family,&quot; chief executive Bjorn Gulden told reporters today. &quot;If he decides not to run, we will probably work even closer with him,&quot; he said, adding Bolt would have more time for product development and could even take on a commercial role at Puma. 
 
Gulden made the comments after Puma reported a stronger-than-expected rise in second quarter sales, helped by the European soccer championships as well as popular women&#39;s products endorsed by singer Rihanna and celebrity Kylie Jenner. 
 
Puma reported a quarterly net profit of 1.6 million Euros ($1.8 million), compared with a loss of 3.3 million a year ago. Sales rose 7 per cent to 827 million Euros, beating analysts&#39; average forecast of 819 million. Bigger rival Adidas is expected to report even stronger growth for the quarter on August 4, with a Thomson Reuters Smart Estimate suggesting a 13 per cent rise in sales. 
 
Puma shares pared earlier gains to trade up 0.3 per cent by 08:50 GMT, while owner Kering rose 2.4 per cent. Adidas, which has been hitting a series of record highs in anticipation of bumper results, was up 1.6 per cent. 
 
Gulden said it was not clear whether the six-time Olympic sprint champion, who has been sponsored by Puma since he was 15 years old, would keep running after the upcoming Rio Olympics, saying Bolt might need time off to think about it. 
 
Gulden said the Jamaican was already helping Puma hunt for a successor, adding the company has a strong scouting operating in the Caribbean, &quot;We have to admit there won&#39;t be a second Usain but there will be something else,&quot; he said. 
 
While Bolt is Puma&#39;s highest profile athlete and the Olympics a major platform for the brand, Gulden said it was hard to measure a direct impact on sales as fans do not buy replica team shirts in the same way they do for sports like soccer. 
 
Quarterly sales grew fastest in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, up a currency-adjusted 23.5 per cent, boosted by Puma&#39;s sponsorship of five national soccer teams at Euro 2016, including Italy, plus players like top scorer Antoine Griezmann of France and Portugal goal keeper Rui Patricio. 
 
While sales of replica team shirts started already last November, Gulden said he was optimistic of a boost to soccer shoe sales when youngsters fired up by Euro 2016 start back at school. 
 
Gulden said Puma&#39;s partnerships with Rihanna and Jenner were helping it win more space at key retailers, which are all putting more focus on the women&#39;s business because it is growing faster than the men&#39;s. 
 
The firm confirmed it expects sales to grow by a high single-digit percentage this year, with gross profit margin remaining flat from last year&#39;s 45.5 per cent and operating earnings between 115 million and 125 million Euros. 
 
(Reuters) 
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Chief executive Bjorn Gulden said that should Usain retire after Rio, he would have more time for product development

German sportswear firm Puma is not worried about the possible imminent retirement of Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, the highest profile athlete it sponsors, believing Bolt could be just as valuable off the track. "Usain is part of the Puma family," chief executive Bjorn Gulden told reporters today. "If he decides not to run, we will probably work even closer with him," he said, adding Bolt would have more time for product development and could even take on a commercial role at Puma. Gulden made the comments after Puma reported a stronger-than-expected rise in second quarter sales, helped by the European soccer championships as well as popular women's products endorsed by singer Rihanna and celebrity Kylie Jenner. Puma reported a quarterly net profit of 1.6 million Euros ($1.8 million), compared with a loss of 3.3 million a year ago. Sales rose 7 per cent to 827 million Euros, beating analysts' average forecast of 819 million. Bigger rival Adidas is expected to report even stronger growth for the quarter on August 4, with a Thomson Reuters Smart Estimate suggesting a 13 per cent rise in sales. Puma shares pared earlier gains to trade up 0.3 per cent by 08:50 GMT, while owner Kering rose 2.4 per cent. Adidas, which has been hitting a series of record highs in anticipation of bumper results, was up 1.6 per cent. Gulden said it was not clear whether the six-time Olympic sprint champion, who has been sponsored by Puma since he was 15 years old, would keep running after the upcoming Rio Olympics, saying Bolt might need time off to think about it. Gulden said the Jamaican was already helping Puma hunt for a successor, adding the company has a strong scouting operating in the Caribbean, "We have to admit there won't be a second Usain but there will be something else," he said. While Bolt is Puma's highest profile athlete and the Olympics a major platform for the brand, Gulden said it was hard to measure a direct impact on sales as fans do not buy replica team shirts in the same way they do for sports like soccer. Quarterly sales grew fastest in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, up a currency-adjusted 23.5 per cent, boosted by Puma's sponsorship of five national soccer teams at Euro 2016, including Italy, plus players like top scorer Antoine Griezmann of France and Portugal goal keeper Rui Patricio. While sales of replica team shirts started already last November, Gulden said he was optimistic of a boost to soccer shoe sales when youngsters fired up by Euro 2016 start back at school. Gulden said Puma's partnerships with Rihanna and Jenner were helping it win more space at key retailers, which are all putting more focus on the women's business because it is growing faster than the men's. The firm confirmed it expects sales to grow by a high single-digit percentage this year, with gross profit margin remaining flat from last year's 45.5 per cent and operating earnings between 115 million and 125 million Euros. (Reuters)

Puma not worried by Bolt retirement, believes he will be as valuable off track

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