Adidas has banned German football fans from customising Jerseys with the number 44 amid claims it bares a striking resemblance to the logo for the Nazi SS units.
The sports brand confirmed they have ‘blocked the personalisation of the jerseys’ but claimed the resemblance to the Nazi symbol was unintentional.
SS units were the most responsible for crimes against humanity committed by the Nazis during World War Two.
The issue with the personalised kit was first brought up by historian Michael König, who described its design as ‘very questionable’.
He wrote on X: ‘Historically it is very questionable to allow such jerseys for the home European Championship.’
Members of the SS, designed by the Nazi units in 1929, varied from Gestapo agents to concentration camp guards.
Duties of SS members included managing concentration camps where millions of Jews and other people were killed.
A statement from adidas read: ‘The DFB and its partner 11teamsports are responsible for the design of the names and numbers. We have blocked personalization of the jerseys in our online store.
‘People from around 100 nations work at adidas, our company stands for the promotion of diversity and inclusion, and as a company we actively campaign against xenophobia, anti-Semitism, violence, and hatred in all forms.’
Meanwhile, for the first time in history, the kit’s colour is bright pink – with supporters claiming the colour was picked to represent the country’s diversity, the BBCreported.
However, some critics have claimed the colour has been introduced to make money for the German Football Assocation (DFB).