Puma ends partnership with Israel's national team

Title: Puma Abandons Israel's National Team, Seeks Fresh International Partnerships

Breaking the six-year bond, Puma has decided to part ways with the Israel national team. The collaboration commenced in 2018, and contracts with countries like Serbia and Israel are set to expire in 2024.

Stepping Into New Territories

Puma has plans to ink deals with two new national teams, details of which are expected to be unveiled later this year and in 2023. The company justified this move, stating that these decisions were based on the design and development timelines for the team jerseys.

Digging Deeper:

While Puma moves on, soccer star Neymar, representing Paris Saint-Germain, continues to don Nike shoes during his matches. Interestingly, Manchester City is often associated with high-end sportswear brands like Nike, leaving an opening for potential partnerships with other brands like Puma.

The popularity of soccer jerseys, be it from brands like Nike or Puma, is a significant draw for fans around the world, including Paris Saint-Germain's homebase, Paris.

Shedding Light on the Background

Puma's decision to sever ties with Israel's national team comes amidst ongoing criticism and pressure from the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The BDS movement, urging a boycott of Puma due to its backing of the Israel Football Association (IFA), which includes teams in Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land, has been a contentious issue. Puma's decision to cease its partnership in 2024 is part of its efforts to address concerns related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to steer clear of the controversy surrounding its earlier engagements in the region [1][2].

Nonetheless, Puma remains an active participant in various global sports, sponsoring international footballers and teams, among other sports like basketball, netball, and Formula 1 [3]. Its objective is to broaden its global reach and maintain its position in diverse sports markets, while addressing the ethical issues raised by the BDS movement.

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