WARRIOR LIVERPOOL 2012/13 HOME KIT
Liverpool FC made a huge decision when they decided to end their partnership with Adidas and move to a brand that has zero football influence. The American giants are now looking to change that however after signing a six-year agreement with Liverpool which will earn LFC a Premier League record of £25million per year.
The new shirts wear released with the words; ‘It’s inspired by greatness. It’s modern tradition. It’s unapologetically Liverpool FC. It will make you feel 7ft tall’ and the kit certainly does have a retro feel to it.
“It’s a really nice kit, I’m really impressed,” said skipper Steven Gerrard. “You never know what to expect when going from one sponsor to another, but I’m very impressed. It’s retro, it’s comfortable, it’s good on the eye and the yellow is back which, of course, is the natural colour of the Liverbird. The players look forward to seeing the new kit as much as the fans. It’s very important that the players are happy wearing it. The fans pay good money and I’m sure they’ll be as happy with it as I am.”
The new kit’s design is inspired by the clubs glory days when the Reds won six league titles, two European Cups, two FA Cups and four League Cups in the ’80s.
The kit features the traditional and unmistakable red and yellow colour scheme of Liverpool’s past dominance. With the iconic Liverbird, Warrior branding and chest advertising bolding standing out from the simple red jersey. The reverse side of the jersey features the eternal Hillsborough flames with the number 96, in reference to the amount of people who lost their lives during the disaster.
ADIDAS TANGO 12 FINALE
Spain and Real Madrid captain, Iker Casillas unveils the exclusive adidas Tango 12 Finale ball at Ciudad del Futbol
Adidas have unveiled the official Tango 12 Finale match ball for the UEFA European Championship Final with the help of defending champion and Spain and Real Madrid captain, Iker Casillas at the Ciudad del Futbol in Madrid.
Based on the classic Tango design used during both the FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO tournaments during the early 1980s, the adidas Tango 12 Finale features a modern interpretation of the design including bespoke graphics designed to represent the two host countries and link to the key characteristics of football – unity, rivalry and passion.
The adidas Tango 12 Finale, which has been developed over a two-year period, underwent two rigorous types of testing – qualitative player testing, which was conducted across eight different countries, using players, federations and clubs from both elite and grass roots football, and quantitative lab testing, which concluded that the adidas Tango 12 Finale meets and exceeds all FIFA Approved Standards for an Official Match Ball making it the most tested ball adidas has ever produced.
With a month until the tournament begins, the reveal of the new adidas Tango 12 Finale official match ball to fan’s across the world also marks the launch of the adidas “Road to the Final” – a campaign designed to give consumers across Europe the chance to win a line-up of UEFA Euro 2012 prizes, including official match tickets.
The “Road to the Final” campaign will see the ball complete a virtual tour through every country competing in the tournament over the course of the next month on its way to Poland and finally the Ukraine. At each stop an adidas sport star will post a picture of themselves with the ball on the official adidas Facebook page and Twitter feed, with every “like” or re-tweet from fans automatically entering them into a draw to win a line-up of UEFA Euro 2012 prizes.
Alongside winning different prizes, each selected winner will then be sent a replica of the Tango 12 Finale and will be asked to post a picture of themselves with the ball at a famous landmark to show off their success. Following the initial reveal in Madrid, different winners will be announced across the three weeks building up to the UEFA European Championships, to follow the winners visit www.facebook.com/adidasfootball or follow them via Twitter on @adidasfootball.
The adidas Tango 12 Finale will be available in adidas retail outlets and associated stockists from 1st June.
ADIDAS ADIPURE 11PRO – BLUE/INFRARED/WHITE
Adidas have grabbed our attention with the release of the new Predator LZ and new AdiZero colourway and now we can complete the Euro 2012 line-up from Adidas with the new Blue/Infrared/White AdiPure 11Pro colourway. Adidas have some of the game’s biggest names on their books with the AdiPure range boosting the likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Frank Lampard and Xavi Alonso.
The AdiPure range is known for their comfort, style and touch. The upper is made of the highest quality Taurus leather providing excellent fit, comfort and ball feel. The Leather is also coated with an ultra-thin ‘Duracoating’ which protects the leather in areas of high abrasion.
A anatomically shaped midfoot ‘360’ support saddle adds midfoot stability during lateral movements. An anatomically moulded EVA insole assist movement and improve fit while a soft suede synthetic leather lining provides additional comfort, whilst reducing any foot movement within the boots for a more secure fit.
The AdiPure 11Pro’s SprintFrame features new three part dual cushioning Traxion studs which have an internal anti-shock tubes and high abrasion resistant ground contact layer. A FlexZone in on the forefoot ball area offer greater flexibility and aid linear motion. A split between the 3rd and 4th toes called PlusFlex aids ground adaption and provides a higher energy efficiency during later movements. As with all Adidas football boots now, the soleplate features a cavity for MiCoach technology.
PELE SPORTS TRINITY 3E K
Despite not having much of an on-field presence, Pele Sports football boots have quickly gained a solid reputation. The Trinity 3E is a genuine contender in the speed boot market and now Pele Sports gone to the next level by releasing the Trinity 3E K – the lightest leather boot in the world.
The Trinity 3E was developed to deliver comfort and maximum acceleration with a unique stud geometry that naturally decreases the risk of injury and enhances the speed and precision of your game.
The original Trinity 3E weighed just 158grams and featured a new generation speed upper Symbioskin – a tri-laminate material designed specifically for the Trinity 3E. Now however Pele sports have replaced the synthetic upper with a soft Kangaroo Leather upper which will undoubtedly aid comfort and ball feel.
The fibre reinforced lightweight polymer hybrid outsole is a dual density fabrication created through molecular manipulation that results in an optimised rigidity directly aligned to the biomechanics of the foot.
One of the most unique aspects of the Trinity 3E is the patented stud geometry which harnesses the natural mid-foot motion, ensuring the earliest possible force generation, accelerating your rapid response rate. The stud tips are created from an advanced binary compound has been specifically engineered to naturally resist and reduce the likelihood of a rolled ankle or ‘inversion’ injury.
Along with the Black/High Risk Red K-Leather colourway Pele Sports have also released a great looking White/Red colourway for the synthetic upper. With boots (especially in the speed category) receiving more and more outlandish colourways, it is nice to see a simple black and white colourway being released. However we do think these would look great with a splash of Adidas’ ‘Electricity’ or Puma’s ‘Parachute Purple’.
ADIDAS F50 ADIZERO MICOACH – INFRARED/BLUE/WHITE
Having gotten a sneak peak on the feet of Liverpool’s Stewart Downing in the FA Cup Final over the weekend, we can now fully reveal the new Adidas F50 AdiZero MiCoach colourway – which is set to be the lead f50 colourway for the European Championships.
Adidas have released some genuinely eye-catching colourways for the AdiZero over the past but have opted for a slightly more understated colourway ahead of the Euros with this Infrared/Blue/White colourway.
Adidas will hope for a similarly successful European Championship as they had back in 2010 when the AdiZero was released and took the World Cup by storm scoring a total of 43 goals on their way to becoming the tournament’s top scoring boot.
The F50 AdiZero MiCoach boots feature Adidas’ Sprintweb which provides stability during high speed movements. The lightweight Sprintskin upper is a revolutionary single layer synthetic which provides incredible ball-feeling and reduced weight. Adidas groundbreaking Sprintframe uses geometrics and new stud construction to offer the perfect balance between lightweight and stability.
This new colourway – which are available from 1st June – is set to have a big summer as the likes of Lukas Podolski, David Silva, Arjen Robben and Ashley Young will all be in adidas’ headline F50 Infrared/Blue/White colourway in Poland & Ukraine.
NIKE ARSENAL 2012/13 HOME KIT
Nike have unveiled the new Arsenal home shirt for the 2012-13 season which pays tribute to the North London club’s visionary past and bright future, inspired by 126 years of innovation and style.
Arsenal Football Club has long been the benchmark for innovation and change. It was Herbert Chapman – the club’s manager from 1925 to 1934 – who championed the use of floodlights, numbered shirts and white footballs in the modern game. And Nike, official kit supplier and leaders in design and innovation, has unveiled a home kit that pays tribute to club heritage whilst offering players and fans a modern and stylish new uniform.
The shirt boasts the traditional red block body with white sleeves but fans will find a new twist to the kit; a blue (obsidian) hoop detail on the collar, sleeves and socks.
Blue (obsidian) has long been used as a third colour on Arsenal’s shirts throughout their illustrious history and features in the Arsenal crest; and it’s inclusion in the kit for the 2012-13 season nods to that past but gives it a fresh, bold look.
Heritage details include an inner neck graphic which reads; “Victoria Concordia Crescit (the club’s latin logo meaning victory through harmony). The outer neck graphic is a nod to Chapman’s famous ‘WM formation’ that galvanised and shaped the modern game.
As is traditional, the new shorts are white but with a WM formation on the side, and ‘Arsenal’ in the back of the waistband. The home kit socks are white with red and blue (obsidian) hoop detail.
Whilst the kit combines modern sport and youth style to give the club an iconic new look, Nike’s innovation gives the team our most technologically advanced kit to aid athlete comfort and performance.
The new home kit is made from Nike’s ground-breaking recycled polyester, making it Nike’s most environmentally friendly kit ever produced. Each kit (shirt and shorts) is made using up to thirteen recycled plastic water bottles. This innovative manufacturing process reduces energy consumption by up to 30% compared to manufacturing traditional polyester. Since 2010 Nike has used an estimated 1115 million recycled plastic bottles to create its high performance kits.
The kits are made out of 23% lighter fabric with 20% stronger knit structure than Nike’s previous kits and feature Nike Dri-FIT technology to wick moisture away from athletes to help keep them cool and dry on-pitch.
Kits have bonded re-enforced t-bar junctions that support critical seams on the shirt and shorts and inner welded seams with a flat finish construction to improve comfort and performance. Temperature regulation is helped by ventilation zones, consisting of a series of tiny laser cut holes from the under arms to the waistband, allowing air to circulate to keep players comfortable.
Along with the new kit Nike have also released a great looking anthem jacket and supporters wear range.
Following the unveiling of Arsenal’s new Nike 2012/13 home kit, the Gunners have released a humerous launch video featuring the likes of Van Persie, Walcott, Wilshere Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arteta and Arsene Wenger enjoying some post-training target practice at their London Colney facility.
BOOT SPOTTING 5-6 MAY
This weekend had plenty of action and excitement to catch the eye but what stole the headlines was the new Adidas Predator LZ that made its official on-field debut this weekend. We love bringing you the best boots spots from the Premier League and once again we start the week off of with our famous Monday morning boot spots – or should we say LZ spots…
We start off with Steven Gerrard. The Liverpool captain was spotted in training wearing the new LZ but opted for his Black/Warning AdiPower Predators for the FA Cup Final. Gerrard is well known to be a fan of black boots and may actually take some convincing to into the LZ.
It looked as though we wouldn’t get to see the LZ in the FA Cup Final after both Gerrard and Cech wore AdiPowers but we did finally get out first glimpse of the Infrared/Black/White colourway when Dirk Kuyt came off the bench for the Reds. We are not surprised the Liverpool players were given the Infrared colourway rather than the Blue one as it goes perfectly with their Adidas home kit.
Scott Parker’s injury has allowed Brazilian Sandro to get an extended run in Spur’s midfield. Sandro went straight into the new LZ as Spurs took on Aston Villa at Villa Park.
Samir Nasri played a mokor part in the tease campaign of the new Predator LZ so it was no surprise to see the City midfielder wearing the new Bright Blue/Infrared/Collegiate Navy/White Predator.
We were a little surprise to see that Robin Van Perise was not involved in the LZ tease campaign. The Dutch forward has been in spectacular form this season in the AdiPower and continued that form in the LZ hitting a brace against Norwich on Saturday.
Van Perise was joined in the LZ by teammate Aaron Ramsey. Ramsey has been in the AdiPure 11 Pro since their release but has now made the switch from the AdiPure to the new Predator.
Possibly the most surprising LZ spotting of the weekend came in Everton’s game against Wolves. Nikica Jelavic has been a revelation since joining Everton. Jelavic has done all his scoring in Nike Tiempo Legend IV boots however this weekend Jelavic wore the new Predator LZ.
Although the LZ drew most of our attention it didn’t escape us that Stewart Downing gave a brand new AdiZero colourway their official debut. Downing came out in the new AdiZero colourway that Adidas have lined up as part of their European Championship range. Stay tuned to TRW as we will being you a full review of the new colourways soon.
Adidas released the White/Black/Red colourway as an alternate colourway that was not set for any on field support. They have however been worn by a few players in the Premier League such as Bolton’s Martin Petrov.
We were a little surprised to see Stoke’s Kenwayne Jones also sporting the alternate White/Black/Red AdiZero colourway. Jones has been wearing Nike Tiempo Legend IV boots but has switched from a leather to a synthetic boot.
ADIDAS PREDATOR LZ – INFRARED/WHITE/BLACK
No Predator release would be the same without a Black/Red/White colourway. The new Predator LZ has already broken the model in many ways has done so again with the release of the alternate Infrared/White/Black colourway.
The LZ is the 12th, weighs just225 grams and is most technologically advanced, unique looking and innovative Predator to ever be released. Five distinctive ‘lethal zones’ were developed in conjunction with some of the world’s leading players and aim to deliver greater ball control, touch, accuracy and power.
The ‘First Touch’ zone features recessed Predator SL rubber, which acts as a cushioning platform on the synthetic upper to give immediate ball contact. The raised, thicker 3-D shape on the inside vamp of the boot is known as the ‘Drive’ zone and follows the natural shape of the instep to create a rebound effect for greater distance and power.
The ‘Sweet Spot’ zone has a smaller surface area and has raised ribs on the medial side of the boot, with the purpose of generating greater spin and pace. The instep of the boots feature a ‘Pass’ zone with memory foam on the medial side of the boot to ensure consistency of passing, along with a 3-D sticky print with large surface area to increase ball contact time for more precise passing.
The ‘Dribble’ zone is a continuation of the SL rubber from the forefoot, to provide optimum grip on the ball for controlled dribbling. The ribs of the rubber are positioned on the lateral side of the boot and are designed to provide a small contact surface area with the ball which allow for a large number of quick ball contacts, spaced out to ensure optimum grip.
A newly engineered Hybridtouch upper combines the benefits of leather and synthetic – comfort, stability, reduced water uptake and the highest quality feel in all weather conditions. A Sprintframe construction uses geometrical learnings and offers the perfect balance between lightweight and stability. The Sprintframe outsoles to provides the Predator Lethal Zones with maximum grip and optimum pressure distribution on a firm or soft ground.
The Predator Lethal Zones joins the AdiZero and AdiPure 11Pro in offering miCoach support and is the first miCoach enabled Predator boot. Players can now track their performance stats such as distance, sprint count and maximum speed, then wirelessly transfer the data to a mobile phone or PC.
MANCHESTER CITY ANNOUNCE NEW NIKE DEAL
Manchester City are a club on up and up and now they have cashed in on their emergence as a football powerhouse by striking a six-year kit deal with Nike that could earn the Premier League leaders up to £12million a year. The new sponsorship deal could lead to more major signings with funds being available to add to an already illustrious squad of players at the Etihad Stadium.
The deal means that City will share shirt sponsors with local rivals Manchester United, who have been sponsored by Nike since 2002. City had secured a 10-year deal with Umbro, worth £6million a year, as recently as 2009. But with Umbro now owned by Nike, that agreement has been re-negotiated to reflect City’s subsequent success on the pitch and the club will now wear the Nike brand from the start of the 2013-14 season. The Blues will remain sponsored by Umbro next season before all kit, training wear and related products will start to be designed and manufactured by the American sports brand.
Although City have doubled the value of their kit deal by moving from Umbro to Nike the financial benefits of the package remain some way adrift of City’s domestic rivals.
Liverpool’s £25 million-a-year deal with the American manufacturer Warrior is the biggest in the Premier League, while Manchester United are rumoured to have a possible £600 million, 10-year kit deal in the pipeline for when their current £23.5 million, 13-year agreement with Nike expires in 2015. Chelsea’s eight-year deal with Adidas is worth £20 million per annum while Arsenal’s £13 million-a-year package with Nike dates back to 2003. Globally, Real Madrid’s £28.5 million-a-year deal with Adidas outstrips Barcelona’s £26.3 million-a-year partnership with Nike.
City’s progress on the pitch has been reflected in the Nike deal, but off the field, the club has yet to prove its ability to compete with Liverpool, United and Chelsea in terms of shirt sales, both in the UK and across the globe. However, the association with Nike is likely to boost their profile and enable the club to dramatically increase its global recognition.
Nike brand president Charlie Denson told the club’s official website: “We’re excited by the opportunity to further develop the relationship between City and Nike Inc, which builds on the successful partnership the club has already enjoyed with Umbro, and reflects both the ambitions of the club and the Nike brand’s position within the world of football.”
John MacBeath, City’s interim chief executive officer, added: “We are delighted to have further strengthened our relationship with the Nike family.
“Nike’s deserved reputation as the leading global sports brand, its unparalleled R&D capacity, leading global retail distribution networks and award winning marketing capabilities mean that this is a very important step forward in the evolution of Manchester City.”
BLUE SQUARE PAYING OUT ON BLUE FUTURE FOR DI MATTEO
Despite falling behind in the race for 4th after last night’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle, leading interactive betting company Blue Square is throwing its support behind Roberto Di Matteo by paying out early on the Swiss-born coach in the next Chelsea manager market.
As speculation continues ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup Final showdown with Liverpool, Blue Square is rewarding punters who have shown faith in Di Matteo keeping the Stamford Bridge hotseat.
Last week’s resignation of Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola led to increased speculation that the Spaniard was being lined up for the Chelsea job and that Di Matteo was for the exit, but what has he done wrong?
Blue Square spokesperson Alan Alger said: “To be honest if you look at what he’s achieved in the short time he’s been Chelsea caretaker boss it’s utter nonsense that other candidates are even being considered.
“Irrespective of what happens in the FA Cup Final, we think Di Matteo is the man and we’re happy to pay out on him now.”