Morocco is furious with adidas for 2018 World Cup kit
It's dramatically basic, the commercialization is unclear and Moroccans did not take it well
May 28th, 2018
adidas football unveiled the new Morocco's shirt for the 2018 World Cup on May 25th, but it was far to be a success. After the launch Social media went nuts about the new shirt for its poor and basic design. Users were quick to comment about the new outfit, which does not appeal to the public opinion, as fans feel ripped off by the sportswear brand.
New Morocco World Cup 2018 kits by Adidas officially unveiled yesterday evening in Rabat #CDM2018 #WC2018 #Maroc #AmineHarit pic.twitter.com/CnEXa2jY8k
— footballkitnews (@footballkitnews) 25 maggio 2018
The new Morocco 2018 World Cup kit is identical to the most basic adidas sample jersey - the Tabela 18 template - which additionally features a subtle pinstripe pattern on the front and back. Some users claimed that is a copy of the Widad Casablanca jersey - the oldest and biggest club of the country - and overall they denounced the lack of effort and fantasy of the brand. Many users use to compare the whole design and launch that adidas did with the Nigeria shirt's success by Nike, that hit the stunning record of 3M pre-order.
1️⃣ Maillot Adidas rouge avec le logo du Maroc vendu 70€
— Nassim Bouras (@BourasNassim) 24 maggio 2018
2️⃣ Maillot Adidas rouge sans logo vendu 20€
Faites votre choix pic.twitter.com/YngqKBKqla
In addition, there was a clear lack of communication about the jersey with not even a professional shot, and now it is unclear if it will be sold by adidas outside of Morocco, where many expats communities are based. According to some Moroccan news outlets, adidas will not commercialize the jersey globally, leaving it to the Middle East division. European shops are trying to but small quantities of the jersey in order to resell it.
Selon nos informations, Adidas France devrait commercialiser la nouvelle gamme de survêtements du Maroc
— SOCCER212 (@sccr_212) 27 maggio 2018
La vente du maillot reste exclusive à Adidas Mena.
Source: Adidas Paris. pic.twitter.com/S0Pc466H3V
This controversial Moroccan shirt was the really last one to be presented among the participants of the 2018 World Cup. After a failed first version of the jersey, released April 27, which caused Moroccans to boycott the brand and which was criticized by many Moroccan football players, including former Atlas Lion Abdeslam Ouaddou, Adidas has not learned its lesson. Three weeks ago, President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation Fouzi Lekjaa wanted to cancel the contract with adidas when he urged them to redesign the kits. After that, adidas responded quickly to the Moroccan anger, but it obviously could not create an acceptable design on its second try.