Adidas signs up to sponsor Russian football

Sportswear firm Adidas has signed a sponsorship deal with the Russian Football Federation until 2018. The company will supply RFU teams including the national and Olympic football teams.

The deal could be worth more than €100 million and Adidas has taken the contract from arch rival Nike.

The Russian national team will first wear Adidas in their qualifying match, for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, against Wales, in Moscow on September 10.  The company says Russia and the CIS could become its biggest market in Europe by 2010 and it plans to increase its number of Russian stores by 60%. 

The Russian Football Union covers 2.5 nmillion players, 44,000 clubs, 156,000 teams and 37,000 referees.  New Adidas jerseys will be available on the retail market from early 2009.