MUNICH – The German Football Association (DFB) said it would change the typeface used on its shirts after one of the kit numbers drew comparisons to a Nazi symbol.

The No. 4 worn by national team players was said to bear a resemblance to the insignia of the Nazis’ elite SS corps.

“The DFB checks the numbers zero to nine and then submits the numbers one to 26 to (European football’s governing body) Uefa for review,” the football association said in a statement on April 1.

“None of the parties involved saw any proximity to Nazi symbolism in the creation process.”

Nonetheless, the sporting body said it did not want to “provide a platform for discussion”.

“Together with our partner 11teamsports, we will develop an alternative design for the No. 4 and coordinate it with Uefa,” the association said.

Kit provider Adidas removed shirt personalisation options for the German strip from its website on April 1 afternoon, the German daily Bild reported.

The name and number personalisation features were not available when an AFP journalist visited the website on the same evening.

Shirts with the No. 44 were at the centre of the controversy, with the number set said to look most like the SS logo.

Deliveries of shirts already ordered with the number had been stopped, Bild reported.

The new typeset was worn in recent friendlies against France and the Netherlands, as Germany prepares to host the European Championship from June 14 to July 14.

The DFB caused a stir in March when it announced that it would be replacing Adidas as its kit provider from 2027.

The German outfitter, which has supplied the national team since the 1950s, will make way for US sportswear giant Nike. AFP