Adidas: Morocco Calls For Algerian Jersey Design Removal

Facts

• Moroccan lawyer Mourad Elajouti announced on Thursday that he issued a legal warning to Adidas regarding the design of its new Algerian jerseys on behalf of Morocco's Ministry of Culture. Morocco is demanding the German sportswear brand remove the design within two weeks.
• Morocco is accusing Adidas of cultural appropriation as the jersey's blue, yellow, and teal patterned geometric shapes are similar to zellige, a Moroccan mosaic style.
• According to Adidas, the design was inspired by the Mechouar Palace in Algeria, but the company hasn't addressed the controversy as of yet.
• Adidas released a photo of the new design for the Algerian national team on Sep. 23 via Twitter, saying it was “inspired by culture and history.”
• Morocco and Algeria — which share around 1.2k miles of border — have long been at odds. The tensions came to a head in the 1963 Sand War over Morocco's claim to territory in Algeria, and later when Algeria supported the Polisario Front in its fight against independence from Morocco, resulting in the 1975-1991 Western Sahara War.
• More recently, Algeria cut diplomatic ties with Morocco in 2021, accusing its neighbor of "hostile acts." Morocco responded by calling the move "completely unjustified."

Sources: BBC News, Independent, Yahoo, and I24.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Independent. Morocco and Algeria are feuding over trivialities. The two countries have been in conflict with each other essentially since they gained independence, and this current spat over a jersey's design is just another installation in a long saga of war and bickering.
• Narrative B, as provided by DW. Morocco has every right to demand that Adidas change the jersey's design, as the zellige is an essential component of its cultural heritage. While arguments over a jersey may seem insignificant, the reality is that these shirts spread a message — in this case, the acceptance of cultural appropriation. This must be rectified.