• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Shot Callers: Riley Mahoney, Senior Merchandise Manager, MLS at adidas

With Major League Soccer beginning its 25th season, the league worked with its jersey provider adidas to design new jerseys for each of the league’s 26 clubs.

Riley Mahoney, senior merchandise manager at adidas for MLS, joins Ian Thomas to discuss the new threads for the 2020 season and the thought that went into designing them.

Edited highlights appear below:

On the approach to the jerseys for this season (0:18)

Mahoney: “Really this journey started back in 2018. It’s a two-year process to get these jerseys to market and as we looked at the 25th celebration of the league, we went deep into our archives and pulled out the EQT designs. EQT was instrumental for football, for soccer, in the early nineties when you think about it being on the back of the U.S. Men’s National Team in ’92, we knew that this was the design we wanted to go with. So you see a league-wide EQT striping and extended collar – the 90s are in, retro is in, and it really helps authenticate that 25th celebration story and really brings it from authenticity to progression and making sure we’re celebrating that with the league fully.”

About the design process working with the clubs and the league (1:06)

Mahoney: “It’s a huge collaboration between the clubs, between the leagues, between our team in Germany, as well as locally. We have six designers that sit in Hertzo at our headquarters. These designers work on Manchester United, on Arsenal, on Real Madrid, on all of our federations, and they also support us on the league. So the same designer who did the Atlanta United kit also did the Real Madrid kit that just launched.”

“It starts with the clubs. They have the opportunity to give us a brief with mood boards, with what they want to come to life with, what they want the jersey to really look and feel like. That goes through the adidas lens for our creation for the season. For 2020, it was all about the unification of art and football. So you’ll see a lot of hand-drawn brushstroke graphics, making that beautiful game, the beautiful jersey come to life.”

“We then present a couple options back to the club. They get an opportunity to provide feedback and then we start getting into the sample rounds. We’ll start tweaking things a little bit. You think about a league of 26 teams in 24 different cities. We want to make sure that every jersey is unique and every jersey is a true reflection of the city, of the fan base, and of course of the club.”

On the growth of the relationship between MLS and adidas (2:24)

Mahoney: “We’ve been the sole supplier of the kits since 2005. We just signed a new extension through 2024, so it’s a partnership we massively believe in and something we’re super excited about. When you think about the opportunity to shape what soccer looks like, not just in the U.S. but all of North America, and then taking that down to the kids, to the academies, and then expanding the game globally and making sure that whether you’re in Latin America or in Western Europe, you understand the importance of the league and the quality on the field, but also in the product we bring to life.”

On the growth of the game locally and globally (3:22)

Mahoney: “You think about, what football means, I think we all grew up playing tiny tots or little kickers. It’s really the sport that we’re all introduced to first. I consider myself to be one of the luckiest men alive, to have the opportunity to sit and help shape the future of soccer. The league is starting to invest in huge facilities and also investing in academies, world-class facilities, world-class coaches that can come in and help shape the future of soccer. Yes, we have signings like Chicharito, Zlatan came over, but the future generation is really 14, 16, 18…They’re going to be the ones that lead us into the 2026 world cup and start to represent the country and become the feeders.”

“…If you look at our partnership with the league, we invest just as heavily in those grassroots initiatives because that’s really where the heart of soccer lives.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Don Garber

NASL Trial Could Get in Underbelly of American Soccer

NASL alleges an illegal conspiracy between MLS and U.S. Soccer.
JJ Redick

Steve Kerr, JJ Redick Among Sports Figures Who Lost Homes in L.A...

Kerr said his family had owned the home since the 1960s.

Liverpool Denies Elon Musk Sale Rumors

Musk’s father said his son is interested in buying the club.
NWSL Logo

$110 Million Denver NWSL Expansion Fee Shows Speed of Women’s Sports Explosion

Colorado beat out Cleveland and Cincinnati, which was backed by Caitlin Clark.

Featured Today

Race leader and eventual stage winner Primož ROGLIČ (SVN/RedBull-Bora-Hansgrohe) in the final kilometer up the finish climb of stage 19 from Logroño to Alto De Moncalvillo (ESP/168km) of the 79th La Vuelta Ciclista a España 2024 on 6 September. // Kristof Ramon / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202409060905 // Usage for editorial use only //Primož ROGLIČ (SVN/RedBull-Bora-Hansgrohe) congratulated by teammate Florian LIPOWITZ (DEU/RedBull - BORA - hansgrohe) after a very strong stage 13 from Lugo to Puerto De Ancares (ESP/171km) of the 79th La Vuelta Ciclista a España 2024 on 30 August

Red Bull Is on a Hot Streak in Sports. Can It Win..

The company is betting on a big future in cycling.
Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer (33) knocks the ball out of the hands of Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) and returns the fumble for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Cotton Bowl Classic during the College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on January, 10, 2025.
January 11, 2025

College Football Is Closer Than Ever to Perfecting the Championship Process

Despite valid criticisms, the first expanded Playoff is working.
Jan 2, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman (R) reacts on the sidelines in the final minute against the Georgia Bulldogs during the fourth quarter at Caesars Superdome.
January 9, 2025

Amid Realignment Mania, Notre Dame Stayed Independent. It Paid Off

How the CFP semifinal-bound Fighting Irish made their business model work.
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates a first-down catch against Oregon during the 2025 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
January 3, 2025

The Biggest Changes to College Sports Are Coming in 2025

Sweeping developments could affect the college sports foundation this year.

Fundamentals: Andrea Williams (Women In Sports)

Welcome to the latest episode of Fundamentals, a Front Office Sports interview…
November 17, 2020

Fundamentals: Women In Esports

On this episode of Fundamentals, three guests join the show to discuss the opportunities for women in the gaming industry, as well as the challenges they face.
February 24, 2021

Fundamentals: Women in Sports

Welcome to the latest episode of Fundamentals, a Front Office Sports interview…
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
September 22, 2020

Fundamentals: USTA CEO Michael Dowse

Dowse, the CEO and executive director of the national governing body for tennis, discussed the unique challenges of a fan-less US Open and growing the sport in the U.S.
July 28, 2020

Fundamentals: RISE CEO Diahann Billings-Burford

Diahann Billings-Burford is the CEO of RISE, a national nonprofit whose mission is to use sports as a means of eliminating racial discrimination and acting as a vehicle for social justice and societal equality.
July 24, 2020

Fundamentals: MLL Commissioner Sandy Brown

Sandy Brown — commissioner of Major League Lacrosse — discusses the logistics and realities of the league’s return to play with a single-location tournament format, along with the growth of the sport as a whole.
July 17, 2020

Fundamentals: Evil Geniuses CEO Nicole LaPointe Jameson

Nicole LaPointe Jameson, CEO of professional esports team Evil Geniuses, discusses the state of esports and what is next for the organization.