- New design and proven technology for Europe’s elite –

Adidas have unveiled the Official Match Balls to be used during the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Super Cup tournaments. The UEFA Super Cup ball will be used during tomorrow’s clash between F.C. Internazionale Milano and Club Atlético de Madrid. Tomorrow’s UEFA Super Cup game marks the second successive occasion where adidas and UEFA celebrate the official kick-off of the new international club football season with a specially designed UEFA Super Cup ball.

The Finale 10 – The Official Match Ball for the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League Season

WE have already had a look at the new UEFA Champions League ball here:. But here is a reminder. The design of the Finale 10, the Official Match Ball for the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League season, builds on the tradition of the iconic UEFA star ball logo. The Finale 10, which is now ten years into its development, features the emblematic design colours of the UEFA Champions League making it a true icon of the tournament. The adidas Finale 10 is the first season ball on which the famous UEFA Champions League star panel shape is integrated in the technology of the ball.

The variation of blue shades, ranging from a dark midnight blue on the outside of the stars, to a lighter blue in the star centre, is combined with traditional black and white on the borders. In line with adidas’ continued advancements in ball technology, the ‘Finale’ lettering demonstrates a subtle, yet sophisticated modernization to the ball.

All games from the play-off round to the semi-finals will be played with the adidas Finale 10. The match ball for the UEFA Champions League Final in London’s Wembley Stadium, on May 28th, 2011, will be unveiled at the beginning of next year.

The Official Match Ball for the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League

As the Official Match Ball supplier for the UEFA Europa League since the commencement of the tournament, adidas developed the Official Match Ball in line with the visual language of the logo and brand colours of the competition.

Integrated into the official UEFA Europa League ball is the adidas exclusive and industry-leading “Grip’n’Groove” profile technology which guarantees the truest ball flight under all conditions. The adidas “Grip’n’Groove” technology has been successfully implemented on the Official Match Balls for the first divisions in Russia, Argentina, Japan and the USA, in addition to the recently launched Official Match Ball for the new German League season, the Torfabrik. The adidas “Grip’n’Groove” technology is a technology which will continue to be used throughout these leagues during the 2010/11 season.

All games of the UEFA Europa League – including the Final in Dublin on May 18th, 2011 – will be played with the new ball. The adidas Finale 10 and the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League ball have been available at retail worldwide since July 1st.

The Official Match Ball for the UEFA Super Cup 2010

Following the successful launch of the first Official Match ball for the UEFA Super Cup in 2009, adidas will continue to offer a specially designed ball to mark the prestigious occasion. The design of the ball takes inspiration from the colours of the UEFA Super Cup logo, as well as the colours of the respective teams competing in the game – F.C. Internazionale Milano and Club Atlético de Madrid. As with the UEFA Europa League Ball, the UEFA Super Cup ball features the industry-leading “Grip’n’Groove” technology.

The ball will take to the field on Friday, August 27th, 2010 when the winners of last season’s UEFA Champions League, F.C. Internazionale Milano, meet the winners of last season’s UEFA Europa League, Club Atlético de Madrid, at the Stade Louis II in Monaco. The ball will be sold in selected retail outlets throughout Europe and exclusively at the UEFA Super Cup in Monaco, making it a true collector’s item.

adidas and UEFA

adidas have produced the Official Match Balls for UEFA tournaments since 1970 and together share a passion for football development. For the 2010/11 season:

- adidas will offer a high-quality product range worldwide featuring the insignia of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.

- The UEFA Champions League match officials will wear a specially designed kit featuring the UEFA starball design.

- adidas will be on site throughout cities in Europe before every match in support of the UEFA Europa League, hosting a number of events for fans and promoting the season’s merchandise.

As Diego Maradona prepares to celebrate his 50^th birthday, PUMA is marking the occasion with the launch of a new collection dedicated to one of the greatest footballers ever to have played the game.  Over a playing career that spanned more than 20 years, Maradona broke the world transfer record twice, led Napoli through the most successful period of the club’s history, and captained Argentina to a World Cup victory in 1986 in which he won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.  All in PUMA boots.  Few people will forget the ‘Goal of the Century’ as he collected the ball in his own half, danced around six England players, before slipping the ball past Peter Shilton in a moment that cemented his status as a footballing legend.

Maradona wore PUMA boots throughout his career, having a passion for the brand that never wavered.  Most recently, the former Argentina national manager could be seen wearing PUMA boots on the training ground in South Africa, as he coached his countrymen through the 2010 World Cup.

The PUMA Diego collection comprises of the following:

Esito Diego Finale I FG

After sporting PUMA boots throughout his career, this special edition of the Esito Diego Finale I FG is a fitting piece of the collection. Offering a classic design, this boot combines comfort and longevity by using a soft yet highly abrasion resistant PU synthetic leather.

King Diego Graphic Tee

Inspired by his adoring fans, PUMA created this one-of-a-kind tee using personal messages and greetings from Diego’s fans during his golden years.

King Diego Duffle Bag

This carry-all bag is as unique as it sounds.  Sporting a copy of Diego Maradona’s signature, the vintage 80’s styling uses Maradona’s number 10 and Argentina’s national colors. This bag is essential for any serious football player, offering plenty of room with a two-way opening zip into the main compartment, a front slip zipped pocket and webbed handles. This is retro elegance at its finest.

King Diego Ball

Another way to honor one of the greatest footballers ever to play the game is by creating this one-of-a-kind ball. This hand -stitched, 32 panel ball is made to withstand the toughest shots. Multilayered backing gives the King Diego Ball enhanced stability and aerodynamics, so you can make your best shot.

King Diego Jacket

The King Diego Jacket harkens back to Maradona’s days on the pitch.  PUMA’s iconic cat embroidery, the Maradona badge on the left chest and the embroidered Maradona signature on the upper back make this jacket as unique as the great footballer himself. The number 10 badge and national team colours are sure to make you feel like an icon while wearing it.

The PUMA Diego collection will be available from 30 October 2010, coinciding with Diego Maradona’s 50^th birthday.  For more information, visit www.puma.com.

The Total 90 Tracer ball will debut in August in the world’s leading football leagues including the English Premier League, Italy’s Serie A, and Spain’s La Liga.

During an extensive two-year testing process Nike worked closely with the Barclays Premier League, Spain’s LFP, Italy’s Serie A, with national teams including Portugal and the United States, and confederation matches throughout South America and Asia.  The Nike design team also spent 18 months testing the T90 Tracer Ball at the Nike Equipment Innovation Test Lab in Oregon, USA.

“The world’s best leagues, federations and players demand the most innovative product on the market, that’s why our brief was very simple: to create the world’s best football,” said Chris Bond, Nike General Manager of Soccer Equipment. “As the game gets even faster and more competitive around the world, we’ve designed a product to exceed the demands of today’s players from the amateur to elite levels.”

The result is the Total 90 Tracer, which delivers enhanced consistency, accuracy, touch and visual science.  It is the most pinpoint accurate ball in the world, helping players hit their targets with consistency. Testing shows that the Total 90 Tracer consistently hits a 3-foot in diameter bulls-eye while the leading competitor ball hits a bulls-eye approximately 6-feet in diameter, showing the Total 90 Tracer is more than twice as consistent as the competition.

“A great ball makes a real difference for a player, a team and potentially the outcome of a game,” said Sergio Agüero of Atlético Madrid. “The Total 90 Tracer always feels the same no matter where I strike it. It’s responsive and easily controlled in every situation. I can shoot with confidence, knowing it’s going to go exactly where I want it to every time.”

The Total 90 Tracer ball’s micro-textured casing regulates airflow equally across its entire surface, making it less prone to wobble and giving it a more direct, arrow-like flight. Rigorously tested at the University of British Columbia wind tunnels, the ball has less drag in flight than competitor balls and produces more precise and truer shots every time. Testing at the Nike Equipment Innovation Test Labfound that the Total 90 Tracer is the most aerodynamically efficient ball in the marketplace, meaning players expend less energy kicking the ball.

Consistent touch: Nike teams also focused on enhancing touch – often one of the most crucial elements for footballers. A unique five-layer casing and construction improves touch, giving players maximum control and greater command and presence on the pitch.

The Geo II configuration of the ball’s 32 panels evenly distributes pressure across the whole ball, offering more consistent movement and the same response wherever the ball is struck.

True control: The micro-textured casing material of the Total 90 Tracer is designed to equalize the flow of air over the ball during flight. This stabilizes the ball and allows it to fly truer – maintaining it’s intended flight path while ensuring greater control and accuracy shooting, sending or receiving a pass.

Innovative visual science: The Total 90 Tracer also features a brightly colored graphic designed to deliver visual performance benefits to players.  Up to 99% of a person’s eye sight is via their peripheral vision, under 1% is considered foveal, or focused vision.  Based on this, Nike designers and visual scientists explored how the human eye locates and responds to the color and design of a football while in motion.  The result is Total 90 Tracer’s high-contrast asymmetrical graphic designed to generate a strong visual signal, which captures peripheral vision and focuses central vision more rapidly.

The adidas JO’BULANI, which is perfectly round and even more accurate than ever before, has attracted a huge amount of interest from bidders following the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ final five days ago, seeing 133 bids placed from 55 international bidders.

adidas JO’BULANI used during the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final™

The ball enters the history books following a successful auction with a closing bid of £48,200, one of the highest bids ever for a football on eBay. In comparison, the adidas Roteiro ball used by David Beckham during the quarter finals of the UEFA Euro 2004™ sold for €28,050, under half the amount secured for the adidas JO’BULANI ball.

Following the successful bid, the proceeds generated from the auction will be donated to Nelson Mandela’s Foundation charity 46664 which was established to inspire individual and collective action towards a better world for everyone.

Having been confirmed as the successful bidders, the auction winners will be presented with the iconic JO’BULANI ball by a senior adidas representative in the coming weeks.

To send a donation to 46664 please go to www.46664.com or for further information on adidas products and services please visit: www.adidasnewsstream.com and www.adidas.com/football.

The ball returns with the Champions League star motif – this time in what Adidas call ‘White/Satellite/Night Sky’. It is the eleventh ball Adidas have created for the UEFA Champions League and boasts technology such as “revolutionary Thermal Bonding Technology” which means it has no stitching nor seams.

The Champions League has provided some very entertaining football over the years and we hope that with the new Finale 11 we will see plenty of goals come the new season.

Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben and Inter Milan’s Diego Milito hold aloft the official adidas final match ball “Finale Madrid ” ahead of the 2010 UEFA Champions League final on Saturday 22nd May 2010.