Goodbye to 1909? Understand why Coritiba returned with Diadora

In 2018, the Coritiba followed a market movement and launched its own brand of sporting goods. Six years later, the club changed its stance and closed with Diadora.

The decision to once again have an external partner has been a trend among Brazilian clubs. Fortaleza, Bahia and Criciúma, which invested in their own brands in the past, also signed other partners recently.

Fortaleza, which had its own supplier since 2016, closed with the Brazilian Volt at the beginning of last year. Criciúma also closed with the brand, in 2022.

Bahia, which had its own brand since 2018, closed with the German Puma from this season onwards.

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Coritiba closed with the Italian company Diadora until the end of 2029. In the case of Alviverde, the reunion with the brand has an additional motivation.

“This close relationship with the fans increases the revenue potential of the partnership. The company came to the club at an important moment, won the Series B title and launched several shirts that were popular with the fans”, explains Arnaldo Garcia, marketing director and club business, in an interview with OneTwo Sports.

Diadora has a production company in Brazil

Diadora supplied Coxa’s sporting equipment between 2006 and 2007, when the club was champion of Series B. Eight years later, the brand returned to manufacturing the club’s shirts from Paraná, but this time with a producer that is already known .

Bomache, which produces the 1909 materials, is the one that produces the Diadora materials in Brazil. The difference is that now the club will discuss the models with the Italian brand, following Diadora’s quality standards.

“Diadora is recognized for its quality, innovation and commitment to excellence in all aspects of its production and has strategic partners in Brazil, Bomache being one of them”, says Garcia.

“In the past, the definitions regarding 1909 sports materials were made jointly between the club and Bomache. However, our contract with Diadora follows the global requirements of the quality and production process determined by them and this was one of the decisive factors for Coritiba to opt for Diadora”, adds the director.

How is 1909?

Founded in August 2018, 1909 saw a sales boom the following year. In four months of activity, revenue exceeded R$1 million. At the time, revenue represented a 100% increase compared to previous suppliers, Nike and Adidas.

A professional, who was linked to the club at the time and did not want to be identified, stated that 1909 was an “extraordinary case”. “Coritiba closed the ecosystem. The physical and virtual stores belong to the club. The club earns royalties to sell its products to other stores”, he states.

“So you have extraordinary financial success. Much greater than with a Diadora, for example, in my opinion”, he adds.

The growth in revenue occurred in an unfavorable scenario. In 2018, Coxa failed to gain access to Series A and remained in the Second Division. In scenarios like this, it is common for revenue from shirt and ticket sales to decrease.

“Regardless of the brand, the important thing is to get the collection right. From what we observed, it was extraordinary. From the moment you operate the store, you increase the volume of financial results”, explains the professional.

According to the club’s marketing director, SAF is still analyzing what will be done with the 1909 brand. “The 1909 brand project has been well executed over the years, it is the club’s heritage and we are evaluating alternatives for continuing the project”, Garcia said.

Own brand gave Coritiba freedom

1909 was founded at a time when external brands stopped paying sponsorship for clubs, only giving the value related to royalties. In this scenario, investing in an own brand emerged as a way to cover clubs that were without sponsorship value.

In addition to the financial gain, the 1909 also brought more freedom in making models. An example of this was the launch of a shirt designed by goalkeeper Wilson. 1909 also held a competition to have one of the shirts designed by a fan. This freedom may decrease when agreeing with an external brand.

Diadora premiere will be in July

The first collection with the new supplier is scheduled for July this year. The board’s expectation is an increase in revenue.

“The arrival of a company with a history in the market conveys credibility to our fans and has the potential to generate an increase in the number of sales, compared to 2023”, projects Garcia.

The idea, according to the director, is to also make changes in physical and online stores, expanding the service. Today, Coxa has 1909 stores in Couto Pereira, in shopping centers and on the internet.

“We will also expand and renovate the stores, which will certainly increase sales not only of shirts but also of products related to the club”, he states.