Reebok sparked controversy with shirt that ignored Northern Ireland. Photo: Reproduction/Reebok
The partnership between Reebok and UFC definitely went through turbulent times in its initial era. After there were several criticisms regarding the payment given to the fighters under the agreement and even regarding the visual appearance of the uniforms, this time the sporting goods brand made a mistake regarding the political aspect and found itself involved in a new controversy.
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This Wednesday (21), in preparation for the UFC event that will be held in Dublin, Ireland, this Saturday, Reebok launched a special t-shirt from the hometown of Conor McGregor. O design It's simple: the gray piece has prints of the UFC logo, the name “Ireland” and a map of the location.
The problem is that the design ignores Northern Ireland, a country belonging to the United Kingdom that is part of the island, counting only the territory of the so-called Republic of Ireland, an independent nation whose capital is Dublin.
The issue becomes even more delicate with the phrase used to promote sales of the t-shirt: “Show loyalty to your territory”. Northern Ireland has already experienced several civil conflicts between Catholics, who favor independence from the United Kingdom and merger with the Republic of Ireland, and the Protestant majority, who are against integration, generating tension between the parties.
The person who seemed very uncomfortable with what happened was John Kavanagh, leader of the SBG gym, where McGregor trains. “What irritated me was the phrase 'show loyalty to your territory'. My girlfriend is from Belfast [capital of Northern Ireland], a city that has seen several senseless deaths. This type of speech only serves to fuel negative emotions and bring out the worst in us,” he explained.
Faced with the negative repercussion, Reebok recanted. “We sincerely apologize for the offense caused by the UFC Ireland t-shirt. It was a design error and the product is being removed,” she commented.
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