adidas Germany World Cup Kit Q&A With Jürgen Rank - Football Shirts

Jürgen Rank works at adidas and is - together with his team - responsible for designing the adidas federations’ jerseys for the FIFA World Cup 2014™ in Brazil, including the one for his home country, Germany. In the following interview Jürgen Rank and Christian Binger, another creative mind behind the German kit, talk about their sources of inspiration.

When it comes to a nation’s football jersey, almost everyone has an opinion. This is why Jürgen and his team begin the process of creating these jerseys very early on to ensure that these highly technical garments come with the flair of national passion.   What inspired you during the design process of the new DFB jersey and how was that inspiration executed? Christian: Well, at the beginning we had to answer the most important question: “What does the national team want to express with this jersey, short: what does it stand for?” Jürgen: It quickly became clear that this should be definitely more than just a football jersey. We started seeing the World Cup more as the EXPO of Sports, the ultimate platform on which not only all the different teams but also their fandoms and home countries get to present themselves. What should Germany bring to Brazil? What does the German Team stand for?

Sounds interesting, did you find the right answers?

Christian: We certainly did! But first of all even more questions popped up. Questions like “Who are we and what are Germans actually like? So what we did was we went outside on the street, equipped with microphone and camera and questioned young people about their opinions and beliefs all through the country. We met teenagers as well as youngsters of our national team. Furthermore we visited a university to consult experts regarding the development of the German identity.”

Which values are now displayed in the new kit?

Jürgen: The values we came up with fit the national team as well as the “new” Germany per se. Displayed are the passion for the game, self-esteem and high quality. The graphic on the chest symbolizes this self-esteem and shows an interpretation of the flag in nuances of red, standing for irresistible energy, radiated from both, the team and the new generation.

Jürgen: The lines of the graphic stand for integration and teamwork, the different curriculums of each player as well as their heritage and backgrounds. The same can be said for all the people supporting this country regardless of their origin. The high-grade crest communicates quality, seen in the innovative game of the DFB boys and the very typical German love for details and precision.  

And the love for the game?

Jürgen: …is emphasized via the most refreshing element of the new kit, visually giving the team wings and inspiring the effortlessness of each player. The white shorts complete the whole appearance to a statement of class, elegance and pure passion.

But isn't it a break with tradition?

Christian: We have worn white/white at the World Cup in 1970 and 1974, winning the latter so this really is no break with tradition but a good omen.

A last question: does the design have to please everyone?

Jurgen: It’s a bold and young design and if you see the players exiting the tunnel next to each other, you’ll understand that this is not a design for boring people with doubts but one for movers and shakers. I would say: no, not everybody has to like it. It’s designed for those people who really want to be passionate makers, and I believe there are a lot of them in Germany! 

The new adidas Germany home shirt is available now from selected online stockists including Pro-Direct Soccer. Let us know what you think of it. Join the conversation online, on Twitter and on Facebook.