In 2002 Zinedine Zidane scored one of the greatest goals ever in a Champions League final. Now, to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of that breathtaking volley, adidas have rereleased the Predator Mania that the Frenchman wore on that day.
It was a moment of magic conjured from virtually nothing. Roberto Carlos was on one of his usual marauding runs down the left flank in the Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen, but he was closed out from delivering a telling cross by the covering defender, so instead he looped a hopeful ball into the air. It fell from a great height towards the very edge of the penalty area, where Zinedine Zidane stood waiting. Still no danger though surely, as first he’d have to contr… bloody hell, he’s only gone and smashed it into the top corner! It was a flash of pure wizardry, and the Frenchman’s wand? The adidas Predator Mania.
A truly iconic moment in front of the watching crowd at Hampden Park, and one that gave Real Madrid their ninth European Cup. Now, 20 years on, adidas celebrate the anniversary by recreating the boot that Zidane wore for what is a special limited edition drop of just 2002 pairs, only available with soft ground soleplate. So if you fancy yourself in a pair of these then stop reading now and get ordering, pronto.
Still here? OK. Well, the upper is a faithful recreation of the OG, with premium K-leather, that iconic tongue, curved rubber element execution and Three Stripes, rising up from the underside in true signature Mania style. As always with modern rereleases, the only thing that is subbed out is the soleplate, switching places for some modern tooling to keep the performance elements worthy of today’s game. If you can bring yourself to wear these on pitch that is.
Pick up the adidas Predator Mania at prodirectsoccer.com
