Macron is the new technical partner of the Slovak Football Association

Another prestigious European football federation and its national squads have joined the growing Macron family. Macron is the new technical partner of Slovenský Futbalový Zväz, the Slovak Football Association, and the Macron Hero will appear on the shirts worn by all national sides, including the first women’s team, the men’s squad and the youth teams. The announcement of the partnership and the presentation of the jerseys the Sokoli (Falcons) will wear starting from the Nations League match against Estonia in Tallinn this coming 5th September were held during the inauguration of the Bratislava Macron Sports Hub.

The Slovak Football Association was formed before the Second World War. For many years, Slovak footballers contributed to Czechoslovakia’s successes and excellent performances, but since its independence in 1993, players have appeared under their own national flag. In 2010, under the captaincy of Marek Hamsik, the Sokoli qualified for the World Cup in South Africa and got through to the last sixteen. Slovakia has played in the final stages of the UEFA European Championship on three occasions, in 2016, 2020 and 2024. In the championship held in Germany this year, the side attracted great attention for its excellent performances. Slovakia beat Belgium in their opening match, qualified for the quarter-finals and put England (who went on to the final) under real pressure: Kane and his companions had to wait for extra time before they could equalise after the goal scored by Slovak forward Ivan Schranz.

“We are happy to announce an important partnership with the Slovak Football Association and to provide new kits for Slovakia's national teams,” declared Gianluca Pavanello, CEO of Macron. “This technical agreement marks the beginning of a long journey that we are planning to make together – one that will certainly offer great satisfaction to both parties. The Slovakian team has an impressive history behind it, and many great champions have worn its shirts. We are committed to working alongside SFZ and to supplying staff and players with sportswear of superior performance and design, capable of conveying the spirit and identity of the national side and its supporters.”

“The Slovak Football Association has long been associated with the best, and I am very pleased that in this spirit we can also present the newly established partnership with Macron,” said the general secretary of the SFA, Peter Palenčík, adding: “I believe that the new shirts will bring us good luck. Ahead of us is the next edition of the Nations League, and in October, our women’s team will play playoff matches for a spot at the 2025 European Championship in Switzerland. Next year, starting in March, we have the World Cup 2026 qualification, and then the participation of our U21 team in the European Championship, which will be held here in Slovakia. I am convinced that the partnership will benefit both sides, and we will see not only the players enjoying the new jerseys, but they will also be popular with the fans.”

The announcement of Macron’s partnership with the Slovak Football Association was followed by a presentation of the association’s new kits for the 2024/25 season, which are a testament to quality and performance. These kits, designed to instil a sense of national pride through the history and symbols of Slovakian football, also convey a message of sustainability and respect for the environment. All the garments that Macron produces for its partner clubs and federations are made from Eco Fabric, a polyester material derived entirely from post-consumer recycled plastic.

Slovakia’s new Home shirt has a knitted V neck with a thin blue stripe and red details. The shirt itself comes in two shades of blue, lighter on the body and darker on the sleeves. The front, shoulders and sleeves of the shirt are decorated with embossed tone-on-tone graphics depicting stylised falcons, the team's symbol and nickname. The SFZ badge appears on the right of the chest, a white silicone-printed Macron Hero in the centre and, on the left, the coat of arms of Slovakia (a double white cross on a red background over three blue semicircles representing the Carpathian mountain ranges of Tatra, Fatra and Mátra). The custom inside neck label comes in the same two shades of blue with diagonal stripes in white, blue and red (the colours of the national flag). Also on the label are the logo of the Slovak Football Association, the Macron logo and the words ‘Designed in Bologna’, certifying that the garment is conceived, designed and produced at the Macron Campus. The Home kit is completed by light blue shorts with bands of darker blue down the sides and the same graphics as the shirts. The socks are blue with two red and white stripes around the top, a white Macron Hero on the front and the letters SVK on the calf. The Slim Fit shirt is made mainly from Eco Softlock fabric.

The Away shirt is white and has a knitted crew neck with blue details. The sleeves and shoulders are decorated with the embossed, tone-on-tone, stylised falcon motif. The Slovak flag appears in dye-sub prints on both sides of the shirt bottom. The main body of the shirt is made from Eco Exalock, a jacquard material with a decorative motif woven directly into the fabric to create the embossing effect. The inside neck label is customised in the same way as that of the Home shirt. A blue Macron Hero appears in the centre of the chest, with the SFZ logo on the right and the coat of arms of Slovakia on the left. The Away kit is completed by white shorts with side bands that repeat the graphics of the shirt sleeves and shoulders, and by white socks with blue and red stripes around the top. The Macron Hero above the ankle and the letters SVK are in blue.

A new goalkeeper game set was also presented. One variant is all orange with tone-on-tone, dye-sub printed geometric graphics and black side bands. The kit is also available in fluorescent yellow with black side bands, featuring the same graphics on the shirt front.