FC Köln appear set to change their kit manufacturer ahead of the 26-27 season, with a leaked image of what is reported to be their new home kit pointing to a switch from Hummel to Adidas. Footy Headlines, which has published the leak, reports that the design carries Adidas branding in place of the Danish manufacturer's logo that has featured on Köln shirts in recent years.
The significance of the change should not be understated for a club with a strong identity built around their distinctive red and white. Kit partnerships at this level are multi-year commercial agreements that shape not only the look of a squad but the revenue available to it, and a move to one of the sport's largest manufacturers would represent a meaningful shift in Köln's commercial landscape.
Hummel, who produce kits for a number of European clubs as well as several national sides, had given Köln's strips a certain aesthetic consistency. Adidas, by contrast, bring considerably greater global distribution and marketing reach — a factor that clubs in the second tier of German football, where Köln currently find themselves following relegation from the Bundesliga, have occasionally cited when renegotiating supplier contracts.
At this stage the kit remains unconfirmed by the club. Footy Headlines specialises in early kit intelligence and has a record of accurate leaks ahead of official announcements, though clubs do not always confirm or deny such reports until a formal launch. The design details visible in the leak have not been independently verified by Touchline.
What the reported switch would mean commercially for Köln — including any fee or royalty structure — has not been disclosed. Clubs at this level rarely publish the financial terms of kit deals. Whether the partnership begins only with the home kit or extends across the full range for 26-27 is also unclear from the available information.
Köln's supporters, who follow one of the more passionately supported clubs outside the Bundesliga's top flight, will likely have strong views on any change to the look of the famous Billy Goats shirt. An official announcement, when it comes, will settle the matter.