This will make us very, very unhappy.
As Irish football fans we can now look forward to the national football team heading out to France for Euro 2016 after our play-off win over Bosnia.
“Yay,” we said, and “yay” said the Ireland team shirt makers Umbro, who’ll be bringing out a new kit especially for the championships, no doubt.
We don’t mind that as we want Wes and Jon to be looking their sharpest when they kick off in France next summer.
Plenty of teams that qualified before this week have already launched their jerseys for next summer’s bonanza of football, including this delicious alternative Belgium strip.
https://twitter.com/IBWMJeff/status/664926270548000768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Even the unpopular ones like this effort from Northern Ireland have their own certain charm.
The new Northern Ireland home kit! What do you think? Pre-Order now https://t.co/hlR6VRhzf0 #DareToDream #GAWA pic.twitter.com/mHkyxtTobK
— Irish FA (@IrishFA) November 9, 2015
But it seems that Fifa have spied an ideal opportunity to extract even more cash out of the game by allowing sponsors get their sticky hands on international jerseys.
According to The Guardian this morning, FIFA presidential candidate Tokyo Sexwale thinks it would be a good idea to allow sponsors emblazon their names across the front of international jerseys.
All in the name of money of course:
“Seriously explore the possibility of the national jersey, as happens in other sporting codes, bearing the logo of the main sponsor – not only the jersey-maker as is currently the case. There is space there for much value worth millions of dollars which will be destined directly into [various] FAs’ coffers.
We would be so disappointed if this actually happens.
It’s just wrong isn’t it.
It's not like #FIFA or the World Cup are in desperate need of the revenue that jersey sponsors might generate. https://t.co/ATpHHOVVwg
— DW Sports (@dw_sports) November 19, 2015
@Special1Sports International team Kits are not allowed to show any sponsors in official Fifa Tournement matches. This is a big thing.
— Maghdie ® 🇿🇦 (@MagZ_CPT) November 19, 2015
