The German-based sports company, which kits out five teams competing at Euro 2016, issued an apology to the Swiss football federation and put the problem down to a “defective” batch of material used in a limited number of jerseys for the team. Meanwhile, football kit manufacturer Puma is investigating why the shirts of at least four Swiss players got ripped in Sunday ” s goalless draw against France at Euro 2016.
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Granit Xhaka had to change his jersey twice during the game, while Admir Mehmedi and Breel Embolo also required replacements after what appeared to be less-than-vigorous tugs. Our product people are now investigating the shirt material.
According to the report, Puma released a statement saying it was a “very unfortunate incident”.
A Puma condom wouldn’t do the job, Xherdan Shaqiri joked, after Switzerland went through a host of shirts against France.
While none of the clashes that saw shirts ripped were particularly fierce, Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer chose not to criticise the manufacturer.
Several online commentators pointed out Switzerland’s expertise when it came to holes.
Puma makes the Swiss shirts.
Others cracked there might have been a delivery mix-up with Chippendales, the well-known troupe of male strippers, or wondered if the Puma designers were inspired by Swiss transport minister Doris Leuthard, who turned up at the freakish Gotthard opening ceremony wearing an eye-catching white coat with carefully placed holes made by Swiss designer Akris.
The ACTV Thermo-R technology helps players to maintain an optimum body temperature through a unique phase-change material injected into the shirt’s inner athletic taping, strategically inserted in the front and back of the shirt.
I think they were talking about the jerseys ripping, but that also works for what Shaqiri said.
Adidas didn’t emerge unscathed from Sunday’s equipment brouhaha – notably when Switzerland’s Valon Behrami tackled French forward Antoine Griezmann in the second half, his studs puncturing and immediately deflating the $160 Adidas football that is Euro 2016’s official ball.
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“It means there was a lot of fight on the pitch”, he said.
