Adidas is now targeting big-name stars like Anna Kournikova

The deal dwarfs previous Nike football sponsorship deals, such as its �7m-a-year sponsorship of Brazil's national team, and is thought to be the biggest of its kind ever signed.

It effectively handed control of Manchester Utd's global replica-kit and merchandising business to the sportswear giant.

Before that, the largest UK deal for kit sponsorship was that between Liverpool FC and Reebok, worth �21m over three seasons.

The rights to supply the kit for a Premier or First Division club is a real moneyspinner as the company which lands the contract can also produce the official shirt.

Football clubs tend to change at least one of their home and away strips every season.

With shirts costing about �40 for adult sizes, �30 for children, it is a lucrative business, leading to accusations that fans are being ripped off.

"It looks as if the French football league tried to take things one step further, to say that they had the right to decide who manufactured the kits over the individual clubs," Andy Korman, head of sponsorship at UK sports lawyers, Townleys, told BBC News Online.

In the UK, Adidas currently supplies kits to Newcastle United in the Premiership and Fulham, at the top of Division One.

Adidas-Salomon is the second-largest company in the sporting goods industry - measured in terms of worldwide sales - with revenues at 5.4bn euros ($5.08bn).

Its share of the world market for sporting goods is estimated at about 15%.

Adidas shares were down 1.88% at 64.76 euros in trading on Tuesday.