There is a problem with Algeria's adidas pre-match

Football and politics have always been inextricably linked, since its inception the sport is and has been something that allowed those in government to better manage civil and political society. And this link continues to this day, and the latest querelle between Algeria, Morocco and adidas proves it again. A few days ago, in fact, Morocco's Minister of Culture accused the German technical sponsor of appropriating Moroccan culture in the new pre-match shirt designed for the Algerian selection. A very special jersey that has not yet been used on the pitch with a blue, teal and yellow geometric pattern, inspired by a style of mosaics called zellige. Adidas, which has not yet replied to the minister's accusations, said during the presentation that it was inspired by the iconic El Mechouar palace, a former royal residence in the city of Tlemcen built centuries and centuries ago and completely renovated only 10 years ago. The problem is that this mosaic, the zellige, originated in Morocco and this provoked the anger of the Moroccan minister, but in reality it is also present in other cultures such as Algeria.

And the issue has not gone unnoticed, Morocco has made it known that it has initiated a lawsuit against adidas, calling on the brand to withdraw all jerseys from the market within the next two weeks. In a facebook post, the person handling the lawsuit also stated: "the jersey is an attempt to steal a traditional Moroccan cultural heritage and use it out of its context."

To make the issue even more complex there is politics, Algeria and Morocco in fact are not on great terms, the borders between the two nations have been closed since 1994, but not only that, as reported by the Post: "in the last period relations have worsened, for reasons that have to do with the long dispute over Western Sahara and more recently with Morocco's support for the right to self-determination of Kabylia, an Algerian region with a Berber majority east of Algiers." A truly complex situation that will surely end up in court and that has forced adidas - at least at the moment - to block any sale, on the site in fact not even the new game jersey can be purchased, but only the 2020/21 kit designed for the African Cup of Nations.