Puma back Dortmund to handle Aubameyang 'Nike mask' controversy
Puma have backed Borussia Dortmund to "draw the right consequences" from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrating his goal during Saturday's Revierderby against Schalke by wearing a mask apparently supplied by his boot sponsor Nike.
Aubameyang opened the scoring with his 24th Bundesliga strike of the season in the 1-1 draw at Veltins Arena and reprised his famed celebration.
Having previously sported the facewear of comic book superheroes Batman and Superman, Aubameyang's mask on this occasion resembled one depicted in a promotional campaign with Nike last month.
The story starts March 1 #StrikeNight, watch live: gonike.me/StrikeNight @nikefootball @harrykane @christianbenteke @mauroicardi @marcusrashford @andrevsilva10 @alexoxchamberlain @teccatito
Puma are Dortmund's kit manufacturer and, after the Bundesliga club's chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke promised a "difficult" conversation if Aubameyang was promoting a personal sponsor, the German-based sportswear giant expressed surprise at Nike's presumed involvement.
In a statement issued via German sports news agency SID, Puma said: "We are convinced BVB will draw the right consequences from this incident.
"We are surprised that a competitor puts a player in that kind of a situation."
Before concerns over commercial motives came to the fore, Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel defended Aubameyang's celebration, while the player himself dismissed suggestions his actions were "arrogant" in an Instagram post.
Me arrogant? Come on guys this is the way i live!! this is my world im like a kid who enjoy to play football (sad about the result) but we keep going #bvb #smileyface #aubameyang #pea17 #Maskedfinisher thanks @sk23.10