Friday 25 October 2019 13:40, UK
Liverpool have been victorious in their court battle with kit supplier New Balance, paving the way for a new multi-million-pound deal with Nike.
Liverpool were being sued in the High Court by New Balance after allegedly refusing to honour the terms of their current £40m-a-year deal, which expires in May 2020.
But on Friday, the judge dismissed the case and a Liverpool spokesperson said: "The club is pleased with the judge's decision to rule in favour of the club following the legal dispute with our current kit supplier, New Balance.
"We will continue with New Balance for the current season, in combination with preparing next season's Liverpool kits with our new supplier."
According to the Liverpool Echo, a New Balance representative suggested the company may wish to appeal the decision.
Under the terms of the existing deal, New Balance said it was entitled to renew its sponsorship deal with Liverpool if it matched the terms of any competitor's offer.
But the European champions, who have been offered a five-year, £30m-per-annum deal by Nike, argued that New Balance could not match the American rival's offer in relation to the marketing and distribution of Liverpool products.
But a New Balance spokesperson said: "We believe strongly that we matched the competing offer and would have delivered many more years of record-breaking kit sales.
"We're disappointed that we're not able to continue our successful sponsorship of the Liverpool Football Club. We know that fans value the unique and innovative kits we design and deliver that reflect the club's heritage and recognise their past and recent triumphs.
"We're looking forward to seeing LFC continue to win this season wearing their New Balance kit. New Balance is committed to bringing our expertise, passion, and innovation to the beautiful game and will continue to build on our own success on and off the pitch."
