On May 25, 2013, the UEFA Champions League Final will be played at Wembley Stadium in London between arguably the two best teams in Europe. Of course, there are still 16 teams left in the competition and 14 of them will have to go.
New Champions League Final ball from adidas celebrates “Road to Wembley”
Ahead of the competition kicking back up in just over a month-and-a-half, adidas have revealed the ball that will be used for the remainder of the campaign.
adidas
According to the sports equipment giants:
The ball has been designed to celebrate the UEFA Champions League Finals that have taken place at the ‘home of football' over the last 50 years. The road to Wembley really gets underway during the knockout stages of the competition during which the ball will be introduced on-pitch. Wembley has seen some of the greatest teams in history compete for the top trophy in European football. From the AC Milan team in '63, Manchester United in '78, Ajax in '71 to Liverpool's '78 side and Barcelona's all-conquering teams in '92 and again in 2011, Wembley has born witness to some fantastic sides lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy.
The look of the ball isn’t a major departure from years past as it still features the iconic star-shaped panels with graphics to match the occasion. The ball was designed to “reflect the grandeur of the occasion” with a a classy color scheme that isn’t at all overpowering.
The Vice President of Global Sports Marketing Football for adidas, Claus Peter-Mayer talked about the development of the ball,
“adidas has created a ball to celebrate the finals staged at Wembley which, in turn, is a fitting tribute to this season’s eventual finalists and a wonderful compliment to what is surely going to be a great occasion.”
Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA Events SA Marketing Director stated:
“The ball is bold, iconic and almost regal in appearance which, for us, brilliantly reflects the UEFA Champions League values and the fact that this year’s final will be held in London. This season will see the ball used on-pitch for all knockout stage matches along the road to Wembley where the Kings of Europe will be crowned on what promises to be another historic night of European club football.”
adidas has a rich history in developing match balls having been the official supplier for all major UEFA and FIFA tournaments since 1970. This year’s ball will be the twentieth Official Match Balladidas has produced for the UEFA Champions League competition.
As with everything else adidas, the ball features the latest in sports technology. The ball’s surface features a textured coating that is “designed to provide optimal grip at the point of impact” while the thermally-bonded panels (first introduced in the World Cup 2006 Teamgeist ball) keep water out thanks to a seamless surface and provides a truer flight.
Expect to see the ball on the pitch soon.
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