Workers are being paid a basic wage of less than £1 an hour to make official football shirts for some of the world's biggest clubs, BBC Sport can reveal. Our investigation traced authentic replica shirts to two factories in Cambodia, where conditions were described as "grim". We followed the supply chain behind official shirts after fans told us they were frustrated by rising prices, with many turning to cheaper counterfeits instead.
Images obtained from inside Bowker Garment Factory and Trax Apparel show kits being made for clubs including Arsenal, Celtic, Liverpool and Real Madrid. Employees there told us they struggled to make ends meet and worked on up to 700 items a day as part of a production line. In rare interviews, supported by documentary evidence and published anonymously, workers also described: Safety concerns about electrical equipment.
The Clean Clothes Campaign, external - a global workers' rights network - said our findings painted a "very grim picture". "These are issues that many garment workers around the world face every day," added spokesperson Emma Vogt. Similar issues, such as low pay and high temperatures, have been reported across Cambodia's garment industry.
Research published last year suggested that, of a typical £85 shirt, £8.50 covers fabric, sewing and shipping, £37.45 goes to the retailer, £16.25 to the manufacturer, £9.50 on marketing and £13.60 in VAT. Shirt prices have increased significantly over the past decade, though industry experts argue advances in technology and expensive kit deals with elite clubs have contributed to the rise. Adidas does not own either factory, but both are primary suppliers subject to its workplace standards., external The sportswear giant supplies eight of the 20 Premier League teams.
Adidas said: "We have taken a variety of measures to ensure fair and safe working conditions for workers across our supply chain for more than 25 years. "Through around 1,200 factory audits per year, we review and evaluate supplier conduct, work with suppliers to address issues and make improvements where necessary." Six thousand miles from the club shops where these shirts will be sold, a meeting is taking place inside Bowker Garment Factory. In a photograph obtained by BBC Sport, mannequins display Benfica, Aston Villa and Celtic kits beneath an Adidas logo on the wall.
About 3,400 people - most of them women - work here on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. Another 3,200 work 10 miles east at Trax Apparel. Fabric is imported from Thailand and Vietnam before a specialist tailor makes a sample for other employees to follow.
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