Iceland
will bring a little bit of missing team Italy to the World Cup in Russia as
they compete in their first finals wearing a kit supplied by Italian sportswear
firm Errea.
The
family-run textile company based in Parma has been propelled for the first time
into a world normally dominated by sportwear giants Nike, Adidas or Puma. Blue,
red stitches on the sleeves and white on the collar. Iceland’s jersey, like the
country’s flag, is everywhere in Errea’s premises in San Polo di Torrile, in
the suburbs of Parma.
Four-time world champions Italy — who are
sponsored by German group Puma — failed to qualify for the finals in Russia.
Errea are the initials — R and A — for Rosanna and Angelo Gandolfi, the
founders, and their children Roberto and Annalisa, who are now both involved in
managing the company.
With
140 employees at San Polo, and more than 1,000 in total, and an annual turnover
of 57 millions euros ($67.7m) in 2017, Errea is not a small business by any
means.
Their
jerseys are worn by the French volleyball team, Serie B football clubs Pescara
and Parma, Queens Park Rangers in England, and French rugby clubs Agen and
Perpignan.
But
in the world of football the Italian group are minnows compared to heavyweights
Adidas and Nike, who kit out between them 22 of the 32 teams in the World Cup
with Puma representing another four.
That
leaves six teams for other manufacturers including New Balance (Costa Rica and
Panama), Umbro (Peru), Ulhlsport (Tunisia), Hummel (Denmark) and Errea.
“They
are giants who have a very different approach,” Roberto Gandolfi,
vice-president of Errea, told AFP of their rivals.
“The philosophy is different, the dimensions
are different. We try to be very present on service, to be close to our
customers, who are above all partners. It’s also the case with Iceland.
"For
the design of the jersey too, it’s different,” adds Fabrizio Taddei, head of
export and professional clubs.
“It’s been developed in full cooperation with
federation officials, a team effort, Nike and Adidas create models and apply
them to all their teams, while we do a custom job.” – ‘Iceland effect’ – The
partnership between Errea and Iceland, which runs until 2020, began in 2002.
At
the time, imagining this Nordic island nation of 330,000 inhabitants, with
20,000 licensed and 100 professional players, competing in a World Cup was the
stuff of dreams.
“It’s a small country, it’s true, but I went for the first
time in 2004, for a friendly against Italy, Marcello Lippi’s first match as
coach. And Italy lost 2-0. It was a great party, in any case I had a party,”
said Gandolfi.
“We already saw that they had a serious professional project for
the sport, that’s how you get results, and these are great results because it’s
the smallest country to go to a World Cup and they had a superb Euro 2016 in
France, giving an excellent image of themselves, as well as their fans.”
Iceland’s unheralded run to the quarter-finals at Euro 2016 led to a boom in
orders at Errea. “Especially after the win against England, we had a lot of
requests from Scotland,” smiles Taddei. “Of course, there was the Iceland
effect, an important effect,” continues Gandolfi. “After the Euros, we had a
significant result and we think it will be the same, or better, with the World
Cup. Because we know that the presence of such a small nation is something
historic.”
Iceland’s success has also changed the financial nature of a
contract with Errea which originally did not provide for financial payment,
just equipment.
“We gave extra weight to this contract,” added Gandolfi without
expanding. But nothing comparable with the 50 million euros ($59m) per year
that Nike pays to kit out France or the 70 million euros ($83m) paid by Adidas
for the jersey of the German world champions.
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