One of the most iconic kit partnerships in football history, AC Milan and Adidas are speculated to collaborate again.
Currently, the Rossoneri club are with Puma, a partnership that started in 2018 with the contract set to expire on June 30, 2028. It is rumored that this association will not be renewed and instead the other German brand will be taking place from the 2028-29 season.
The three stripes and AC Milan have a long history of approximately twenty-six years. They served as the kit manufacturer for AC Milan in three separate periods: 1978–1979, 1990–1993, and 1998–2018.
For AC Milan fans, the return of Adidas to the club reminds them of the glorious past of their 2000s silhouette and Champions League victory.
Adidas debuted with AC Milan in the 1978-79 season, the year of L’anno della Stella (the year of the star), when they secured their first star Scudetto.
The Milan-Adidas combo then returned in the 1990-91 season, after the relationship with Kappa ended. Milan won the European Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup in 1990. Under Fabio Capello, Milan bolted to a record-breaking Serie A season, becoming the first side to win lo scudetto without defeat.
In 1998, the partners reconciled again, and following that was the era when Milan won the Champions League in 2003 and 2007. That partnership lasted for two decades till 2018, after which Puma took over.
Adidas have released some of the most iconic jerseys for AC Milan throughout the twenty-year journey. The 1999-2000 Centenary home kit, inspired by the first kit of the club, was one of the most special jerseys among fans.
The other being the 2006-07 away jersey in the Teamgeist template, in which the club won their last Champions League.
Safe to say the Milanisti are exhilarated because Adidas with AC Milan reminds them of the former glory and times of Paolo Maldini, Kakà, Filippo Inzaghi, Andriy Shevchenko, etc.
At present, Puma brings in €25 million in revenue per season to the club, but it is said that when Adidas appears with AC Milan, this amount will exceed that.
This Adidas deal will reward the Rossoneri with a financial boost, especially with their sponsorship revenue increasing to €100 million annually for the first time in the 25/26 season thanks to Emirates, the other partner, for the increased fees it pays.
