Football Jerseys, from Driving Achievement to Protecting the Future of the Earth

This season, several global sports manufacturers are once again turning their attention to Indonesia. The hope is that this interest will drive clubs to achieve higher accomplishments or at least allow various positive aspects to be communicated more broadly.

PSM Makassar is causing a stir. The jersey of the club, the pride of the people of Makassar, South Sulawesi, is now being made by Adidas, a global German brand.

Despite its unimpressive performance last season, the team nicknamed "Rooster from the East" can take pride in the beginning of this season. PSM is currently the only team in Indonesia collaborating with Adidas in the 2025/2026 competition season.

Although there has been no official statement, the new jersey was showcased on the Instagram account of PSM Makassar on Thursday (7/8/2025). One of the most captivating designs is the home jersey in red. It features the signature three white stripes of Adidas on the shoulder.

Not only the bright red color captures attention. The appearance of the club's emblem on the left chest is also unusual. Without a shield, the symbol of the pinisi ship is more prominently displayed. It is as if the pinisi ship is set to carry PSM to sail further with a multitude of achievements this season.

If observed, its design is similar to other Adidas jerseys. Liverpool highlights the figure of the liver bird. Manchester United with its red devil. Or, Arsenal which chooses the cannon as its main characteristic.

This season, Adidas has indeed collaborated extensively with clubs in Southeast Asia. In Malaysia, for instance, Adidas is partnering with Sabah FC. Meanwhile, in Thailand, Adidas sponsors Bangkok United, a team represented by the defender of the Indonesian National Team, Pratama Arhan.

Not to be outdone, Adidas sponsors the powerful Lion City Sailors. Founded in 2020, the team is the reigning Singapore champion. According to Marketing Interactive, the Lion City Sailors' partnership with Adidas will run for the next three years.

Chen Rui Yuan, Country Manager of Adidas for Singapore, stated that football is deeply rooted in the DNA of Adidas. At the same time, football has become the most beloved sport in Singapore.

"We aim to foster greater love and support for local football and create unforgettable experiences for fans," said Chen.

In addition to jerseys, Adidas will also support grassroots development through a tournament organized by Lion City Sailor. Launched in 2022, the tournament is named the "Youth Champions League." This competition involves youth teams, ranging from U-10 to U-16. This year, the competition is titled the "Adidas Elite Youth League."

Adidas' decision to partner with PSM was somewhat surprising. Previously, Adidas had been widely rumored to sponsor Persib Bandung.

In the last two seasons, Persib has been more impressive than PSM. Persib has won the Indonesian League twice in a row.

However, the rumor was dispelled at the end of July 2025. Persib announced a partnership with Kelme. Kelme is a global sports equipment manufacturer from Spain.

Although its name is now prominent in the futsal arena, Kelme still has a strong presence in the field of outdoor football. Having sponsored Real Madrid and Barcelona in the 1990s, Kelme continues to collaborate with RCD Espanyol in LaLiga. In Asia, Kelme also sponsors the Albirex Niigata team in Singapore.

After nine years with the local brand Sportama, Persib is now aiming higher with Kelme. Under the main theme "City of Champions," three jerseys have been prepared.

The Deputy CEO of PT Persib Bandung Bermartabat, Adhitia Putra Herawan, stated that for home matches, they will continue to use their proud blue color. However, this time it will feature jacquard, a design woven into the jersey material, with arrows symbolizing the collective strength of the team and supporters.

For the away design, Adhitia said he chose a vertical blue and white color scheme. The design was inspired by the Persib supporters' slogan, "We are Blue, We are White, We are Persib."

Next, yellow is combined with a collage of the Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium. This design symbolizes Persib's struggle.

The new jersey was welcomed by Bobotoh, the term for Persib supporters. Rudi Setiawan (30), for example, plans to order a player issue jersey. The Bobotoh from Sumedang, West Java, said that buying the official uniform is the same as helping the team continue to progress. The team will receive income from every jersey sold.

"Stop choosing pirated copies. Buy the real thing. That way, we'll still be happy watching our favorite teams play," he said proudly.

Aditiya (27), a Bandung resident, also hopes that Persib's positive impact can be conveyed if the team becomes more globally known. He cited the implementation of the zero waste management program after home games as an example.

In addition to seeking victory, Persib is also busy with its zero waste management program for the 2024-2025 season. After home games, volunteers are deployed to clean up trash in the stadium. As a result, thousands of kilograms of waste are collected and recycled.

Unlike in Bandung, it is different in England. Two teams, Reading FC and Forest Green Rovers, demonstrate their commitment to the environment through the climate stripes printed on their jerseys.

Reading FC has implemented climate stripes on its jerseys for the competition season 2022/2023 to 2024/2025. The design features thin stripes that represent the increase in global temperatures. With this design, the club hopes to stimulate more conversations about the issue.

The design is printed on both sleeves and the pants. Created by Professor Ed Hawkins, an academic from the University of Reading in 2018, each climate stripe on the uniform represents the average annual temperature since 1871, or when the club was first established.

The blue line on the jersey made from recycled plastic symbolizes years that are cooler than average. Meanwhile, the red line represents years that are warmer than average.

Tim Kilpatrick, the head of the club's commercial division, hopes that this design will inspire more conversations about climate among Reading fans.

"We're not perfect, but this is the start of a journey to reduce our carbon footprint as a football club and give our fans the opportunity to join us on that journey," Kilpatrick told the BBC.

In the 2024/2025 season, Forest Green Rovers FC became the second team to implement the climate line. Previously, the Formula E team Envision also adopted this pattern. In fact, the climate line was featured in one of the largest running events in the world, the London Marathon in 2024.

Quoted from the University of Reading website, Forest Green Rovers Chairman Dale Vince stated that the implementation of climate lines on the jersey is part of the club's efforts to raise awareness of the climate crisis.

“We are delighted to join the #showyourstripes campaign,” he said.

Ed Hawkins stated that the implementation of climate lines positions football players as both players and climate ambassadors. "This is an opportunity for all parties to inspire action and seek solutions for the global climate," said Hawkins.