The Adidas Finale is a brand of football made by Adidas. It is the current official football of the UEFA Champions League and Women's Champions League; after Adidas took over the contract of official supplier from Nike in 2000. The internal and external design of the ball changes reflecting improvements to football technologies taken from other Adidas-produced footballs. The external design is the "Starball" based on the stars of the UEFA Champions League and Women's Champions League logo.[2] Each year's ball keeps the branding name of Adidas Finale, excepting suffixes to designate the year.
 Adidas Finale used in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage and the play-off round as well as Women's Champions League group stage.[1] The knockout stage and the final have their own designs. | |
| Type | Football |
|---|---|
| Inception | 2000 |
| Manufacturer | Adidas |
| Available | Yes |
Usage
editDuring its introduction the Adidas Finale was only used in the latter stages of Champions League competition; it was not uncommon to see other balls in the early rounds, usually provided by the kit manufacturer or the ball supplier for the domestic league of the home team, including other Adidas balls. However, from 2006–07, the Adidas Finale had been used in all stages of the competition, including the play-off round which was introduced in 2009–10 followed with the group stages. The balls can also be seen in other UEFA competitions. These balls are also occasionally used in the UEFA Women's Champions League with similar graphics.
Construction
edit
The ball is made by Adidas as the German brand took over the contract from Nike in 2000, and was firstly developed based on the Adidas Terrestra Silverstream, the official match ball of the UEFA Euro 2000 in the Netherlands and Belgium. This ball was also made with the same type of materials and construction used for the Adidas Fevernova, except, of course, the graphics.[3]
The Finale ball incorporates a unique design that was inspired by the UEFA Champions League "starball" logo. The Finale is softer, faster, and more accurate than any other Adidas football before and it also features a layer of highly compressed, gas-filled micro-balloons of equal size (syntactic foam), proven during Euro 2000 and probably contributing to one of the highest average goal rates in a major tournament.[3]
Until the final of the 2005–06 season, the Finale used the traditional truncated icosahedron panel design for their balls. From then on the panels are the same as the Adidas Teamgeist ball. From 2004–05, the ball structure was the same as the Adidas Roteiro balls used for UEFA Euro 2004, which had thermally bonded panels.
Since the 2010 final, the panels took the shape of the competition's starball logo.[4] The panels design has been revised in 2019, previously connected on the edges, the panels now overlap to improve durability.[5]
Design
editEach season in the Champions League, the colour of the stars on the ball is changed. The first ball, in 2000–01 was silver, followed by black in 2001–02, then dark blue in 2003–04, and red in 2004–05. This was followed by light blue in 2005–06. The design for next season's ball was used in this season's final. A light blue ball was used for most of the 2005–06 season, but in the final between Arsenal and FC Barcelona, held in the Stade de France, Paris it was replaced by a ball with the same paneling as the Adidas +Teamgeist but decorated with pink stars. For the 2006–07 season, the ball had grey stars trimmed in red and white and the Finale Athens ball is a chrome silver metallic with royal blue and white. For the 2007–08 season, the ball was decorated in tangerine orange and black stars with grey trim. For the final of the 2007–08 season in Moscow, the ball was gray and red stars with a gold trim, while the ball's paneling was still same with +Teamgeist, but with PSC-Texture which based on Adidas Europass. The match ball used for the 2008–09 season was black and white with a green trim. For 2009–10, the starball's based panels was being used.
Champions League final variants
editEach match ball intended for use in the final is marked with the location at which the final match is to be played. For example, the 2004–05 Champions League final was held in Istanbul, Turkey and as such, the blue/silver-starred Finale balls were marked with Istanbul.
From 2006–07 to 2010–11, the Champions League holder played with the match ball used in the previous final in their home games. Since 2011–12, the final ball has been used from the round of 16, with the title holders using the regular ball in their home group stage games.[6]
Collectors' items
editThese official match balls are well prized. The UEFA Champions League is thought to be the most prestigious club competition and the ball itself has a very unusual design which makes the ball unique, FIFA Approved with highest rating, and fairly cherishable.
List of balls
edit| Season | Ball name | Ball family | Starball design | Final venue | Final design variation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | Adidas Finale | Adidas Terrestra Silverstream | Grey stars | San Siro, Milan | First used in 2000–01 Champions League semi-finals | |
| 2001–02 | Adidas Finale | Adidas Terrestra Silverstream | Grey stars | Hampden Park, Glasgow | Same ball as used for 2000–01 season | |
| 2002–03 | Adidas Finale 2003 | Adidas Terrestra Silverstream / Fevernova | Black stars | Old Trafford, Manchester | Same design and materials as 2000–01 season with black stars instead of grey | |
| 2003–04 | Adidas Finale 2003/2004 | Adidas Terrestra Silverstream / Fevernova | Blue stars | Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen | With the Arena AufSchalke logo | Same design and materials as 2000–01 season with blue stars instead of grey |
| 2004–05 | Adidas Finale | Adidas Roteiro | Red stars | Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul | Blue/silver stars with Istanbul logo with the final contestants' name, Milan and Liverpool on the ball | Adidas has recorded this as the fourth generation Finale |
| 2005–06 | Adidas Finale | Adidas Teamgeist | Blue/grey | Stade de France, Saint-Denis | Red/blue/white starball | Final ball is the same construction as the 2006 World Cup Teamgeist ball |
| 2006–07 | Adidas Finale | Adidas Teamgeist | Black/red | Olympic Stadium, Athens | Adidas Finale Athens – Blue/White starball | An orange variation exists for snow conditions, but used for title holders only while the qualified teams in the play-off round and the group stage use the regular ball. |
| 2007–08 | Adidas Finale | Adidas Teamgeist | Yellow | Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow | Red/gold | |
| 2008–09 | Adidas Finale 8 | Adidas Teamgeist II / Europass / Terrapass | Indigo/indigo metallic/rave green | Stadio Olimpico, Rome | Adidas Finale Rome – Burgundy/gold with mosaic figures representing key sporting and Roman values such as speed, teamwork, justice and power are featured in each star honouring the most important European club game. | |
| 2009–10 | Adidas Finale 9 | Adidas Teamgeist | Red/black | Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid | Adidas Finale Madrid – Red/gold | Final ball design takes shape of the Champions League starball logo |
| 2010–11 | Adidas Finale 10 | Blue | Wembley Stadium, London | Adidas Finale Wembley/red | ||
| 2011–12 | Adidas Finale 11 | Allianz Arena, Munich | Adidas Finale Munich – Blue/aqua/Yellow | The final ball is used for the knockout stage and the final only as all qualified teams in both play-off round and the group stage now use the regular Finale balls. | ||
| 2012–13 | Adidas Finale 12 | Wembley Stadium, London | Adidas Finale Wembley – marked Final Wembley 2013, with the years of previous finals held in Wembley marked on the ball to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the final. | |||
| 2013–14 | Adidas Finale 13 | White / infrared / silver / black | Estádio da Luz, Lisbon | Altered colours, marked final Lisbon 2014 | ||
| 2014–15 | Adidas Finale 14 | White / solar red / solar orange | Olympiastadion, Berlin | Adidas Final Berlin – Differently-coloured graffiti representing the various landmarks of Berlin inside the stars. The UEFA Champions League, Adidas and Final Berlin 2015 logos are visible on the ball, coloured in black. | ||
| 2015–16 | Adidas Finale 15 | Blue / white / orange / pink / lime green / yellow | San Siro, Milan | Adidas Finale Milano – Same as the regular ball, but with grey-coloured stars. Also, a pink Final Milan 2016 logo is visible. | ||
| 2016–17 | Adidas Finale 16 | Dark blue / gold / white / red | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | Adidas Finale Cardiff – Unlike the previous balls, the ball features the dragon that represents the host country's identity. | ||
| 2017–18 | Adidas Finale 17 | Blue / yellow / white / silver | Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex, Kyiv | Adidas Finale Kyiv – The match ball itself represents the colours of the host's country, Ukraine where the capital hosts the final. | ||
| 2018–19 | Adidas Finale 18 | Blue / yellow / white | Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid | Adidas Finale Madrid 19 – Different from the 2010 ball, the ball's colours represent the flags of the host's country, Spain. | ||
| 2019–20 | Adidas Finale 19 | Green / blue / yellow / orange / dark blue / white | Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul | Adidas Finale Istanbul – The ball features the design of the Istanbul's map which is divided by the Bosporus. | Overlapped panel design. | |
| 2020–21 | Adidas Finale 20 | Light blue / orange / dark blue / white | Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul | Adidas Finale Istanbul – The ball features 20 previous designs from 20 finals to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first Adidas Finale ball introduced in 2001. | Overlapped panel design. | |
| 2021-22 (UEFA Champions League) 2021-22 (UEFA Women's Champions League) |
Adidas Finale 21 | White / Solar red / yellow / orange | Stade de France, Saint-Denis (UEFA Champions League) Juventus Stadium, Turin (UEFA Women's Champions League) |
Adidas Finale Paris (UEFA Champions League) - The ball features the word, peace in English and Ukrainian. Adidas Finale Turin (UEFA Women's Champions League) – The ball features the mountains surrounding in the north of Turin where the Alps are located in the background. |
Overlapped panel design. | |
| 2022–23 (UEFA Champions League) 2022-23 (UEFA Women's Champions League) |
Adidas Finale 22 | Green / black / purple / orange / light green / white (UEFA Champions League) Orange / black / blue / white / grey (UEFA Women's Champions League) |
Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul (UEFA Champions League) Philips Stadion, Eindhoven (UEFA Women's Champions League) |
Adidas Finale Istanbul 23 (UEFA Champions League) – The ball features the pattern inspired by traditional Turkish art and covering most of the upper. The gold symbolises Istanbul's rich history while the silver is reminiscent of the Champions League trophy. The white stars with a touch of orange around the edges are iconic, with the logos in them reflecting the color of the football itself. Adidas Finale Eindhoven (UEFA Women's Champions League) – The Women's Champions League final ball 2023 features a striking design that combines white and black panels with colourful graphics. The graphics adorning the Women's Champions League final 2023 ball are inspired by Eindhoven, the host city and also known as the City of Light. |
Overlapped panel design | |
| 2023–24 (UEFA Champions League) 2023-24 (UEFA Women's Champions League) |
Adidas Finale 23 | Blue / pink / white (UEFA Champions League) Pink / white (UEFA Women's Champions League) |
Wembley Stadium, London (UEFA Champions League) San Mamés, Bilbao (UEFA Women's Champions League) |
Adidas Finale London (UEFA Champions League) – The eye-catching design celebrates the final host city, London, with vibrant graphics featuring two roaring lions fighting among the stars. The lion is symbolic of the rich history and culture of the UK and its capital city, and also represents the bravery and strength of the players and the majesty of European club football's most coveted trophy. Adidas Finale Bilbao (UEFA Women's Champions League) – The design draws inspiration from the disruptive urban geometries of the host city, incorporating iconic shapes from Bilbao's architecture and motifs from the San Mames stadium into the traditional star pattern. |
Overlapped panel design. | |
| 2024–25 (UEFA Champions League) 2024-25 (UEFA Women's Champions League) |
Adidas Finale 24 | Black / lime / white (UEFA Champions League) Pink / black / white (UEFA Women's Champions League) |
Allianz Arena, Munich (UEFA Champions League) Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon (UEFA Women's Champions League) |
The league phase uses regular balls much like now-defunct group stage, while the knockout stage and final remain the same. |
References
edit- ^ "Official ball for 2020/21 UEFA Champions League group stage presented by adidas" (Press release). UEFA. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
- ^ "adidas matchballs" (Press release). Nyon: UEFA. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Finale". Soccerballworld.com. Archived from the original on 3 January 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
- ^ "Finale Madrid starball takes flight". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 March 2010. Archived from the original on 11 March 2010. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ "Adidas Finale 19 is official match ball of Champions League 2019/2020 | Football Balls Database". football-balls.com. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
- ^ "adidas Finale Munich launched for round of 16". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 14 February 2012. Archived from the original on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
External links
edit
- Adidas Finale Archived 2011-01-03 at the Wayback Machine on Soccer Ball World