In response to considerable praise from the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and its supporters for discontinuing funding for the Israeli football association, Puma clarified that the decision took place only for “business reasons.”
The sportswear company said the decision to end the collaboration originated in 2022.
Following a strategic evaluation at the end of 2022, Puma announced that it will no longer outfit the Israeli squad beginning next year. Puma expressed its intentions to announce two recently signed national teams, including a new statement team, later in 2023 and 2024. Some federations’ contracts, like Serbia and Israel, are going to expire in 2024.
These decisions took place in 2022 in line with the regular timelines for the design (and) development of the team jerseys,” a Puma spokesman clarified.
The Puma-Israel partnership, which began in 2018, has dealt with boycott calls from the BDS movement.
Through their sponsorship arrangement with the Israeli Football Association, which includes clubs from the occupied Palestinian area, the BDS movement accused Puma of backing illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
