Ballons EURO de 1988 á 2012
International tournament football returns this summer as Poland and Ukraine host the 2012 European Championships. Ahead of unveiling the latest adidas competition ball, we take a look at the previous six championship football's. All delivered by adidas, and at the heart of some of football's greatest memories...
A new tournament means a new ball from adidas, and glancing at some of these previous footballs they've certainly got a good pedigree for delivering performance. But how well do you know your past UEFA Euro match balls, ranging back to 1988?
Kicking-off in 1988 was the adidas Tango Europa, one of football's most iconic designs, and one we're sure will hold a lot of memories (especially for Subbuteo fans!). Constructed using 20 identical panels with triads creating the impression of 12 circles, the Tango was first introduced to the game in 1978.
Next up was the Etrusco Unico , the official match ball of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy and Euro 1992 in Sweden. The name and intricate design took their inspiration from Italy s ancient history and the fine art of the Etruscans. Three Etruscan lion heads decorate each of the 20 Tango triads.
In the development process of the Questra Europa, adidas created a lighter and more responsive ball. By manufacturing the new ball from five different materials and enveloping it in polystyrene foam, adidas made the Questra more waterproof and allowed for greater acceleration when kicked. The design echoed that of the Tango and Etrusco Unico, but with the addition of a variation on the crest of host nation England.
The title and design of the adidas Terrestra Silverstream was dedicated to the rivers of the host countries Belgium and Holland. The locals nicknamed these waterways silver streams due to the way their surfaces sparkle brightly in the early morning sun. Another break through ball from adidas, the outer layer was made from syntactic foam panels in long lasting PU. Inside the ball s casing was a layer of closely compressed micro balloons filled with gas, which distributed the impact of the strike evenly, making it more precise.
Meaning route in Portuguese, "Roteiro" is a reference to the discoveries made by the Portuguese in the 15th and 16th century. For the first time in a major football tournament, every single ball at the Euro 2004 was personalized to each game. The Roteiro balls had inscribed the name of the teams playing, the date, the name of the stadium, and the longitude and latitude of the center spot of the pitch. It was the first ball to feature an innovative thermal-bonding production technique developed by adidas, who supplied 2,300 balls for games and training sessions for the tournament.
The new surface structure of the adidas Europass ball allows players to control and direct it perfectly in all weather conditions. The revolutionary PSC- Texture consists of a sophisticated and extremely fine structure on the ball s outer skin that guarantees optimum grip between ball and boot. The name EUROPASS refers to the common EURO pass between the two host countries of Austria and Switzerland.
Have you got a favourite from these past European Championships footballs, and are you looking forward to seeing what adidas unveil for EURO 2012? Share your thoughts online.
