If you happened to watch Switzerland grind out a 0-0 draw with France on Sunday, we're sorry. We're so very, very sorry.
It was a dull game, a fact which becomes all the more prevalent when you consider the fact most of the post-game analysis has been regarding the material of the Swiss team's Puma-produced jerseys.
If the doldrums of the match didn't beat you over the head until you slipped into a coma, then you may have noticed the fact that four Swiss kits were torn throughout the game. Granit Xhaka had to change his jersey twice, while Breel Embolo and Admir Mehmedi were also forced to don a replacement jersey.
Speaking after the match, winger Xherdan Shaqiri responded to questions surrounding the malfunctioning jerseys in probably the best possible way that he could.
"I hope Puma does not produce condoms."
Zing.
Puma, understandably a bit embarrassed after the incident, released a statement on Monday, citing defective material as the root cause.
“There was one batch of material where yarns had been damaged during the production process, leading to a weakening in the final garment. This can happen, if the combination of heat, pressure and time is not properly controlled in the manufacturing process. The tight fitting ACTV jerseys are made of an elastane and polyester material mix. The defective material was used in only a limited number of Swiss home jerseys.”
Obviously, this isn't that big of a deal. After all, we've all bought clothes that were probably the result of a defective batch. But after a match of pure, unadulterated torpor, at least Shaqiri allowed us to get some entertainment value out of this. Thank you Xherdan.
(H/T The Guardian)
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