The Three Stripes Are Back: Anderlecht Reunites with Adidas

RSC Anderlecht, Belgium’s most decorated football club, has officially announced a return to German sportswear giant Adidas as its kit supplier, starting from the 2026/2027 season. The deal, which runs for a minimum of five seasons, marks the end of a seven-year partnership with Spanish brand Joma and reunites one of the most iconic collaborations in Belgian football history. The new home shirt will be unveiled on Thursday, June 4, 2026, and will be available immediately at the renovated fan shop at Lotto Park and via shop.rsca.be.

A Historic Partnership Rekindled

For more than four decades — from the mid-1970s until 2019 — the purple shirt with the three Adidas stripes was synonymous with Anderlecht. During that era, the club won five European trophies, including two European Cup Winners’ Cups (1976, 1978), the UEFA Cup (1983), and two UEFA Super Cups (1976, 1978), along with numerous domestic titles. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, the renewed partnership had been rumored for weeks before being made official on Wednesday.

“Fifty years after the beginning of one of the most iconic partnerships in Belgian football, the three stripes and the three stars are reunited once again,” the club said in its official announcement.

The End of the Joma Era

Anderlecht switched to Joma in 2019 after Adidas declined to renew its contract. The Joma period coincided with a difficult era for the club, including an 8th-place finish in 2019-20 — the first time Anderlecht had finished outside the top six in decades. According to Sporza, the split with Joma was described as mutual — there was initially a principled agreement to extend the expiring contract, but both parties decided to part ways “in mutual consultation.”

Quotes from the Announcement

Kenneth Bornauw, CEO of RSC Anderlecht, expressed the club’s enthusiasm: “Many generations fell in love with RSC Anderlecht in the shirt with the three stripes. We are delighted to renew the historic bond between two iconic sports brands.”

Sam Handy, General Manager of adidas Football, echoed the sentiment: “We are incredibly proud to reunite with Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, a club with a remarkable heritage and a deep connection to adidas. Together, we’ve shared some of the most iconic moments in Belgian football history, and we’re excited to write the next chapter of that story.”

Commercial and Strategic Implications

The return to Adidas comes at a transitional moment for the club. Anderlecht finished 4th in the 2025-26 Belgian Pro League — respectable but below the standards of a club with 34 league titles. The new kit deal is likely intended to boost fan engagement and commercial revenue ahead of the new season.

Sunweb remains the main shirt sponsor, with Napoleon Sports & Casino continuing as the back sponsor, indicating stability in the club’s commercial partnerships. The deal covers not just the first team but likely all club sections, including the women’s team, futsal, and youth academy.

For Adidas, the deal represents a return to Belgian football after losing Anderlecht to Joma in 2019. The German sportswear giant now regains a foothold in the Belgian market with one of the country’s most recognizable clubs.

Fan Reaction and Cultural Significance

This is more than a routine sponsorship deal — it is a homecoming deeply embedded in Belgian football culture. For fans who grew up watching the club win European trophies in the 1970s and 1980s, the three stripes on the purple shirt are synonymous with the club’s golden era. According to VoetbalNieuws, fan sentiment appears positive, with one reader commenting that “a new sponsor will make the difference.”

What’s Next

The new home shirt will be unveiled on Thursday, June 4, and will be available for purchase immediately. Adidas kits will debut on the pitch at the start of the 2026/2027 season. While financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, the minimum five-season commitment signals a long-term vision for both the club and the brand as they look to write the next chapter of their shared history.

As the club’s official announcement put it: “The three stripes and the three stars are reunited once again.”