adidas Finale X Madrid Football
Unveiling the adidas Finale Madrid football, the brand new Champions League ball to be used for the 2010 final in Madrid on the 22nd May. The Madrid ball is the tenth edition of the adidas Finale ball, so to mark the occasion SoccerBible is taking a look back at the previous nine Champions League final balls.
The design of the adidas Finale Madrid ball is based on the UEFA Champions League star logo, and to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the adidas Finale features panels acknowledging the balls history. The colours are inspired by the host venue, and as with last year's Final football, the winners of the 2009/10 Champions League have the exclusive use of the ball in their home matches the following season - a nice bonus along with the title of Champions of Europe!
The adidas Finale Madrid football is available to pre-order now ahead of a 15th April release, and we expect this to retail for around £75 GBP.
The adidas Finale Madrid football uses a PSC texture for better power, swerve and control. This surface structure "allows players to control and direct the ball perfectly in all weather conditions and consists of a sophisticated and extremely fine structure on the ball's outer skin that guarantees optimum grip between ball and boot."
Perhaps the easiest way to describe this is to liken the ball's surface and texture to thousands of tiny goose bumps (as shown in the picture below), designed to give this extra grip and longer ball contact. The Finale Madrid is constructed from 14 panels using "revolutionary Thermal Bonding Technology" which removes the need for seams and stitching - great for prolonging the life of your football.
The adidas Finale ball has been the official football of the UEFA Champions League since the 2000-01 season. The Finale Madrid is the tenth edition, with the previous nine incarnations all inspired by the host venues and Champions League stars. There have been some epic and memorable Champions League moments involving the Finale balls, so here's a look back at every adidas Finale football...
2000-01
Th adidas Finale ball makes it Champions League debut featuring a grey star design, the Finale ball was made with the same type of materials and construction used for the Adidas Fevernova.
2001-02
An historical Champions League moment for the Black Star adidas Finale ball, as Zinedine Zidane volleys the winning goal against Bayer Leverkusen at Hampden Park.
2002-03
The Black Stars remain for the adidas Finale ball in Manchester, a game won by AC Milan on penalties, making this a classic and iconic design for the Champions League.
2003-04
The adidas Finale ball turned blue for the Champions League final in Gelsenkirchen, Germany as Porto defeated Monaco. But the design and materials remained the same as the original 2001 ball.
2004-05
The adidas Finale Istanbul ball features Thermal bonded panels, a new technology which replaces traditional hand stitching, thus creating a smoother, seamless surface for increased accuracy, water resistance and durability.
2005-06
The Finale Paris ball introduced a unique panel configuration inspired by the adidas Teamgeist ball used for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The thermal bonded panels still feature the star design, now with multiple colours incorporated.
2006-07
The 14-panel configuration of the adidas Finale Athens ball, reduces the number of three-panel touch points by 60% and the total length of panel lines by 15%. This creates a perfectly round ball combined with a new carcass construction for greater accuracy and control.
2007-08
The adidas Finale Moscow ball introduces a creative new design, with the Champions League stars featuring patterns and shapes iconic of the host venue.
2008-09
Taking the design element one step further, the adidas Finale Roma has a traditional Roman burgundy lined with gold detailing around the stars, whilst mosaic figures from key sporting and Roman values such as speed, teamwork, justice and power adorn each star.
