Inside the £1-an-hour official football shirt factories
A BBC investigation reveals that workers in Cambodian factories producing official football kits for major clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool are paid less than £1 an hour. The report highlights poor working conditions and safety concerns, sparking a debate about the ethics of global sportswear supply chains.
Why it matters
It exposes the disconnect between the high retail prices of elite sports merchandise and the exploitative labor practices used to manufacture them.
Image source, BBC Sport Image caption, We traced production of Celtic, Arsenal, Liverpool and other kits to two factories in Cambodia
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.
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