The Culture Ministry of Morocco has accused German textile and footwear company, adidas, of using Moroccan culture in its new jerseys for the Algeria National football team.
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| Algeria’s new football jersey designed by Adidas, was revealed earlier this week. Photo: adidas via BBC |
Adidas has said, the inspiration for the design was drawn from the Mechouar Palace in Algeria.
The Ministry’s lawyer said, the geometric blue, teal and yellow design, however, is a pattern known as Zellige, which is usual in Moroccan mosaics.
On social media, Lawyer Mourad Elajouti, wrote, that he had issued a legal warning to Adidas on the Morocco’s Culture Ministry’s behalf.
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| A common Zellige. A style of Moroccan mosaic tilework. Photo: GettyImages |
Mr Elajouti, said, in a letter to the company’s chief executive Kasper Rorsted, the new design was appropriation of culture alongside “an attempt to steal a form of Moroccan cultural heritage and use it outside its context”.
He has given adidas two week to remove the design.
