NBA Plan to Sell Shirt Sponsorship

Golden State Warriors

The NBA will begin selling jersey sponsorships in 2017-18, becoming the first major North American sports league to put partners’ logos on players’ uniforms.

The three-year trial was approved Friday by NBA owners and will take effect when the league’s contract with Nike begins. The patches will appear on the front left of the jersey, opposite Nike’s logo, and measure about 2 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches.

Logos appear on international and MLS soccer jerseys, and many athletes in individual sports wear their sponsors’ attire in competition.

Commissioner Adam Silver had said this step was inevitable as an additional revenue generator. WNBA teams already have logos, and NBA clubs were wearing them on practice jerseys.

“Jersey sponsorships provide deeper engagement with partners looking to build a unique association with our teams and the additional investment will help grow the game in exciting new ways,” Silver said in a statement. “We’re always thinking about innovative ways the NBA can remain competitive in a global marketplace, and we are excited to see the results of this three-year trial.”

Major League Soccer teams began selling jersey sponsorships in 2007, and they generate more than $6m annually in revenues.

Adidas enters the final year of his contract as the NBA’s official outfitter next season. When Nike takes over, its logo will become the first on league’s jerseys.

The sponsor patch will be adjusted to fit the dimensions of each sponsor’s logo. It won’t appear in retail versions of the jerseys, but clubs can sell jerseys with sponsor patches in their team stores.

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Aduriz Hits First Gol for La Roja

Aritz Aduriz scored his first goal for Spain at the age of 35 to give the reigning European champions a fortuitous 1-1 draw against Italy in a friendly in Udine.

Lorenzo Insigne ended Spain’s run of six successive clean sheets when he finished off a counterattack to give the hosts a deserved lead midway through the second half at the Stadio Friuli.

However, Aduriz, who made his only previous appearance for Spain six years ago and was recalled thanks to his prolific form with Athletic Bilbao, replied three minutes later with Spain’s first shot on target.

The result ended Spain’s run of seven successive wins and they would have lost if had it not been for an inspired performance by their goalkeeper David de Gea.

Italy were missing the midfielders Claudio Marchisio and Marco Verratti and the defenders Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini, while Spain were without the forward Diego Costa.

The hosts fielded a 3-4-3 formation and were far livelier than a pedestrian Spain. Antonio Candreva nearly put them ahead with a long-range shot in the first half that De Gea turned around the post.

Italy took the lead in the 67th minute when the substitute Insigne diverted Emanuele Giaccherini’s low cross past De Gea following a quick break.

They led for only four minutes before Cesc Fàbregas floated a free-kick into the area, Gianluigi Buffon failed to hold Álvaro Morata’s header and Aduriz fired the rebound into the roof of the net.

Insigne thought he had won the game for Italy with a delightful chip over De Gea but the goalkeeper managed to tip the ball over the bar.

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Beckenbauer Denies 2006 Claims

Germany did not buy votes to help win the hosting rights for the 2006 World Cup, Franz Beckenbauer has insisted.

Der Spiegel magazine reported on Friday that an alleged slush fund had been set up with £4.93m loaned by the late Adidas CEO Robert Louis-Dreyfus for Germany's World Cup bid committee to pay bribes to FIFA officials to land the tournament on German soil.

Beckenbauer, who headed the organising committee for the 2006 World Cup, on Sunday rubbished the notion that a slush fund had been set up to win votes in 2000.

"I never gave money to anyone in order to acquire votes so that Germany is awarded the 2006 World Cup," the former World Cup winning player and coach said in a statement.

"And I am certain that no other member of the bid committee did something like that."

Der Spiegel said that among those aware of the slush fund had been Beckenbauer, as well as Wolfgang Niersbach, the current president of the German Football Association (DFB) who was a vice president of the organising committee, citing internal documents from the DFB.

Niersbach also rejected the allegations on Saturday and said he had ordered his lawyers to take legal action against the magazine.

On Friday the DFB said its own investigation had found no wrongdoing in the process of being awarded the 2006 World Cup, but said it was investigating a payment of £4.93m from the committee to FIFA for a cultural programme during the 2006 World Cup and whether it was used as intended.

Der Spiegel said this payment was a return of a loan paid by Louis-Dreyfus to help it set up the alleged slush fund.

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Klinsmann Sets England Goal

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Jurgen Klinsmann says England must make the last eight of the 2014 World Cup to justify their status as one of football's "powerhouses".

Klinsmann, who currently coaches the United States, spent two seasons at Tottenham during his playing career.

"It's a must to go in to at least the quarter-final. It's as simple as that," he told Football Focus.

"They are definitely one of the powerhouses still in the world of football but they've got to prove it."

The USA, who have also qualified for the finals under the 49-year-old's leadership,play Scotland in a friendly at Hampden Park on Friday.

Klinsmann won 108 international caps and was part of the West Germany team that beat England in the 1990 World Cup semi-finals on their way to lifting the trophy.

While England have not matched that performance since at a World Cup, Germany have reached the semi-finals on another three occasions, finishing as runners-up in 2006.

Klinsmann believes that their historical record, combined with a current squad containing Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil and Bayern Munich duo Thomas Muller and Mario Gotze, has raised expectations among the German public.

"The way you put expectations on the German team is 'at least the final'," Klinsmann added.

"That's the expectations now because of that golden generation they're bringing through."

Germany will play England in a friendly at Wembley on Tuesday. The two sides have won three meetings apiece in their six matches since the turn of the millennium.

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New Low for Germany

Joachim Low has signed a new two-year contract.

The 53-year-old, who replaced Jurgen Klinsmann in 2006, had been contracted until the 2014 World Cup but after guiding his side to Brazil will now stay on to the summer of 2016.

He said: "We're not yet at the end of our path and we still have big goals that we want to achieve together.

"I enjoy working with the team and the coaches and I feel a great deal of motivation to develop this team."

General manager Oliver Bierhoff and goalkeeper coach Andreas Kopke have also signed new two-year deals.

Under Low, Germany lost the Euro 2008 final to Spain, were knocked out by the same opponents in the 2010 World Cup semi-finals and were also beaten by Italy in the Euro 2012 semi-finals.

If he sees out his new contract, Low will be the longest-serving manager of Germany since Helmut Schon was replaced in 1978 following 14 years in charge.

Low, who has the highest win percentage (68%) of any Germany manager, will bring his side to Wembley In November for one of two friendlies announced by England this week.

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