Fiorentina Use Blockchain To Battle Counterfeit Kits

Serie A club Fiorentina have announced a partnership with blockchain solutions company Genuino in a bid to cut down on counterfeit shirts.

In a partnership which the club claims is the first of its kind in football, Fiorentina say they can now certify the authenticity of its players’ match worn jerseys thanks to two tests which were carried out in December. However the club says that the tech will soon be rolled out to its fan kits during the 2019/20 season. According to the club, each jersey has been fitted with a dedicated chip which is linked with a ‘unique and unchangeable’ code to certify the authenticity of the product. 

Genuino and Fiorentina both also say that the product will raise money for the Meyer Children’s Hospital in Florence.

Giuseppe Barone, General Manager, ACF Fiorentina said: “This partnership is an important step for a club such as Fiorentina that wants to be ready for the challenges that will arise in the future. Genuino’s solution, offering a product and a service extremely innovative, will allow the tracing of the jersey’s life key moments, creating a digital copy of the physical jersey, to allow us certify and authenticate the same, but also to help us fight counterfeiting and to involve our supporters through innovative products and activations, all over the world.”

Eleonora Mulas, CEO, Genuino added: “Building together with ACF Fiorentina such a prototype, unique in its kind, that uses and integrates extremely innovative technologies such as the internet of things, decentralized applications, smart sensors, artificial intelligence and smart contracts, and that at the same time will allow us to collect funds to help Meyer’s Children’s Hospital, and at the same time to be on the frontline in the sport business innovation, is a great pride for our company.”