FC St. Pauli

No sooner has the spectre of relegation been banished than FC St. Pauli and Under Armour are turning their focus to the new season. And once again, the two partners have come up with something special. As part of the club's US tour, the Boys in Brown are collecting their new home shirt from the Under Armour headquarters in Baltimore, where it will be unveiled during a joint training session with the organisation Soccer Without Borders. The eagerly awaited home jersey is a reference to the past and catches the eye with a rainbow embroidered into the collar that serves as an expressive symbol of diversity and also as a connecting element. The design impresses not only with the rainbow stripe down the back of the shirt, but also with the additional message Football has no gender on the collar and back of the training wear. Here, too, the two partners are speaking the same language – neither Under Armour nor FC St. Pauli are interested in a person's skin colour, ethnic origin, sex, or sexual orientation.

As both parties set great store in social responsibility, the new home jersey is consciously being unveiled during the meeting with Soccer Without Borders to give this organisation the attention it deserves. Soccer Without Borders has been breaking down boundaries through sport since 2006. Children and young people from vastly different countries and cultures make friends by playing football, have fun exercising and develop an awareness for how important a team is.

Partnership between Under Armour and FC St. Pauli entering third season

Under Armour has been an FC St. Pauli partner since 2016. The cooperation began with a revamp of the players tunnel at the Millerntor Stadium and is set to be intensified still further on the US tour. There are several parallels between the port cities of Hamburg and Baltimore. Both share a similar skyline, with harbour cranes predominant as well as creative graffiti scenes, interesting subcultures, urban sportsgrounds and a host of different cultures packed side by side. These commonalities show that the partners go well together not just in sporting terms. For FC St. Pauli and Under Armour also share the belief that passion, desire, culture, and innovation are the most important characteristics for optimum cooperation and the basis for outstanding performance. In addition, both partners work on behalf of children in their home cities and address the issues of poverty and social injustice.

Statements on the unveiling of the new home shirt and the US tour

Oke Göttlich, FC St. Pauli president: "We're delighted to be able to visit our partners in the US and learn more about this multi-faceted brand. Because social responsibility is very important for both sides, we are unveiling our new home shirt at a meeting with Soccer Without Borders and taking the opportunity to visit our partner at the same time. I like the new home shirt. Under Armour designs top-class shirts and teamwear and in doing so supports our team."

Andreas Rettig, FC St. Pauli CEO: "Marked growth in shirt sales again last season shows us that Under Armour shirts find an exceptionally positive echo both at home and abroad. The decision to tour the US with FC St. Pauli is a good one from this point of view, too. I'm convinced we can continue this trend with the new designs."

Philipp Walter, senior marketing manager at Under Armour: "Breathing life into this partnership is another important step for us. To host FC St. Pauli in Baltimore is not only an honour, it's also a sign that this partnership is vibrant and developing over time. We see ourselves as partners who support the club with our innovative products and help the team to focus solely on the football side of things."

Richard Neudecker, St. Pauli player: "We players think the shirts have turned out very well. Unveiling them as part of our US tour is a good idea and the setting is just right. Both the shirts and the training wear are perfect in terms of design and functionality. The shirts fit nicely and are very light.

The new St. Pauli home jerseys are made from Under Armour HeatGear® material. Weighing just over 100 grams, the shirts are extremely light and feature the quick-drying Under Armour signature Moisture Transport System, ensuring sweat is wicked away from the skin to leave the wearer feeling comfortable and dry. Lightweight fabric with built-in four-way stretch improves mobility and accelerates dry time, while strategic ventilation built into the shirt at key points where the body most commonly releases heat allows for optimum coolness, even in the harshest weather conditions.

The new home shirt will be available for purchase at all FC St. Pauli stores, on www.ua.com and from select retail partners. The new away shirt and the new third strip, which will be used in the DFB Cup, will be unveiled as part of another social project in Hamburg during the summer break.

Photos: Under Armour