BBC Sport investigation finds official football shirts made by low-paid Cambodian workers
A BBC Sport investigation traced official kits for Arsenal, Celtic and Liverpool to Cambodian factories where some workers earn under £1 an hour.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Official football shirts sold by some of the UK's biggest clubs have been linked to factories in Cambodia where workers are paid less than £1 an hour, according to a BBC Sport investigation.
The investigation traced authentic replica kits for Arsenal, Celtic and Liverpool to two factories in Phnom Penh. It found some workers earn a basic salary at or just above the local minimum wage, equivalent to under £1 an hour. Workers are paid less than US$10 to make around 400 to 500 shirts a day.
The shirts are part of a multi-billion pound industry. Official replica kits do not come cheap: one example cited a Champions League badge shirt costing £94 or £95. The findings come as fans complain about rising prices and are warned against buying cheaper counterfeits.
The factories are not owned by Adidas, but the manufacturer's website shows they are primary suppliers. Official kits for some of the world's biggest clubs were being made there. Workers, whose identities were protected, described pressure to meet targets. They said people have to rush so hard they do not have time for bathroom breaks, leaving them exhausted, and that workers can be scolded if undone clothes pile up.
The investigation said more than 6,000 people work at the factories, the vast majority women. One later account put the total at 7,000. Testimony and images described hot and humid conditions. Workers said the company did not allow longer breaks to cool down. One worker said they got an electric shock for the second time from a bare wire and that action was taken only after the second shock. There were also concerns about electrical safety and evidence of workplace temperatures above 35 degrees.
The investigation was told that these conditions exist across the sector for millions of workers producing clothes around the world. One message was that clubs need to send a strong signal that they will not put their name on a shirt if workers are not treated with respect.
Adidas said it has taken a variety of measures to ensure fair and safe working conditions across its supply chain. It said it reviews supplier conduct, works with suppliers to address issues and makes improvements where necessary. It added that workers are usually paid considerably more than the minimum wage, that specific heat stress guidance is in place and that its standards do not permit any form of harassment.
Fans may expect that buying official kit guarantees certain standards as well as quality and authenticity. The findings raise fresh questions about what happens at the other end of the supply chain.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Reported by all 2 channels | ||
| Adidas stated that its workers are generally paid substantially above the minimum wage, that heat stress guidance exists, and that harassment is not permitted under its standards. | ||
| An investigation found that authentic replica kits for Arsenal, Celtic and Liverpool were produced in two Cambodian factories. | Reported by BBC One | |
| Only on one channel | ||
| A later report said around 7,000 people work at the factories and there was evidence of workplace temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius. | Not reported by BBC News | |
| Workers are reportedly paid less than US$10 to produce around 400 to 500 shirts a day. | Not reported by BBC One | |
| Workers at the factories are reportedly paid a basic salary at or just above the local minimum wage, amounting to less than one pound per hour. | Not reported by BBC One | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News framed the investigation as both an ethical and consumer story, setting it against warnings about counterfeits and the rising cost of official shirts. Its report gave the fullest detail on factory conditions, named clubs and Adidas's response, with a measured investigative tone.
- “official football shirts are being made by workers who are being paid less than one pound an hour.”
- “They make a ton of money off that but give almost nothing to the workers.”
- “Adidas told us they have taken a variety of measures to ensure fair and safe working conditions across their supply chain.”
BBC ONE West carried the same investigation in its daytime and later bulletins. The first version included the named clubs, worker testimony and Adidas's response; the later weather bulletin cut the report down and added a higher workforce figure and evidence of temperatures above 35 degrees.
- “Arsenal, Liverpool and Celtic are officially selling kits with links to two factories in Cambodia.”
- “7,000 people work at these factories. We've also heard concerns about electrical safety and seen evidence of workplace temperatures above 35 degrees.”
- “But these findings will lead many supporters to question whether or not the real thing is worth the price tag and the role that the clubs play in all of this.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.