FC Schalke 04 jersey sales and quality issues

FC Schalke 04 experienced a significant commercial surge following the release of a white retro-style away jersey. The club reported selling 40,000 units in two and a half hours, prompting a pre-order period that secured an additional 20,000 orders. CEO Matthias Tillmann described the demand as “crazy,” noting that even the manufacturer, Adidas, was surprised by the scale of interest. To meet this demand, the club placed further orders with Adidas, with new stock expected between late November and early December.

However, the high demand was followed by fan complaints regarding manufacturing defects. Customers reported issues such as crooked lettering, misaligned sponsor logos, and discrepancies between player names and numbers. Given the price point of approximately 117 euros, fans expressed frustration on social media.

Media Director Marc Siekmann stated that the club understands the frustration and committed to free exchanges for defective items. While Adidas is the kit supplier, the club noted that responsibility for the lettering lies with their partner, 11teamsports. Following the discovery of quality and flocking errors in the 26-27 away kits—specifically crooked Beumer sponsor logos and mismatched player numbers—the club issued a formal apology. Schalke reported that the errors affected a small fraction of orders, with approximately 50 confirmed cases. In response, the club has pledged to implement stricter individual quality controls for all remaining unshipped kits to resolve the issue at no extra cost to supporters.