Overview
- Atomik announced it withdrew its offer to dress Independiente, citing injurious public attacks and threats against executives and their families, with complaints filed to authorities.
- Independiente said president Néstor Grindetti met PUMA Argentina managing director Gustavo Marques and agreed to continue the partnership until December 2031 on improved financial terms with projected royalties.
- Puma previously stated it complied with renewal procedures and did not rule out legal action if displaced, leaving the prospect of formal disputes on the table even after the new deal.
- The board’s earlier move to accept Atomik triggered protests by hundreds at the Avenida Mitre headquarters and intensified internal opposition, alongside media-reported allegations of irregular negotiations involving director Daniel Seoane.
- Reports detailed Atomik’s proposal at about $1.1 million per year plus a $3 million upfront payment and royalties, slightly above Puma’s earlier offer, under a process shaped by a right-of-first-refusal clause; Sergio Agüero was reported to have called Grindetti to help reopen talks with Puma.