Feels like the dust has barely settled on Spain’s triumph at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, and yet attention already turns to club affairs, and specifically the biggest prize in European club football, with adidas revealing the UCL and WUCL official match balls for the 23/24 season.
Nothing like that feeling when you hear the Champions League anthems playing under the floodlights, and Adidas are embracing that with the designs of the new match balls for both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Women’s Champions League. Inspired by those pre-match anthems that reverberate around stadiums at the start of every game, the new ball designs pay tribute to these iconic symphonies and the irreplaceable feelings of excitement and anticipation that come with them.
Set on a metallic silver background, the men’s iteration of the Official Match Ball integrates a single letter from the instantly recognisable chorus lyric – ‘THE CHAMPIONS’ – onto each of the 12 stars, in an opulent calligraphy style. Visual representations of the musical tones of the song interject the stars, in striking royal purple, red and blue - colours specifically chosen to represent the footballing royalty competing for the coveted UEFA Champions League trophy.
The introduction of a bespoke anthem for the UEFA Women’s Champions League in the 2021/22 season, marked the start of a new dawn for the tournament. In honour of that moment, the new design incorporates the lyrics of the song in two of the ball’s eye-catching star panels – creating a unique circular text pattern in bright orange. The remaining ten stars feature a wavy purple and pink print, curated using the same words from the anthem, but significantly enlarged to create an abstract and attention-grabbing look.
Matthew Davidson, Head of Global Brand Marketing Football at adidas said: “Last season, we were spoilt with two tournaments that, again, reinforced just how special the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Women’s Champions League are, as football spectacles. Over the years, the anthem has become a highly anticipated moment in the pre-match ritual which sets the scene for displays of football at the highest level. When it is heard, it evokes an unmistakable emotional reaction from players and fans - generating a sense of prestige and excitement. So, for this season’s adidas Official Match Balls, we wanted to celebrate the important place these songs occupy in the game.”
The balls are optimised to cope with the demands of the modern game, incorporating a range of adidas performance technology – including a PRISMA surface texture which offers Europe’s finest players precision on the ball. The outer texture coating, found on all UEFA Champions League and UEFA Women’s Champions League Official Match Balls, offers secure grip and control on the ball while the thermally bonded seamless construction ensures the balls retain optimum shape to deliver ultimate performance on the pitch.
Adidas’ on-going partnership with Common Goal will see 1 percent of all global net sales from adidas footballs – including these latest releases – contributing towards initiatives driving lasting social change for under-served communities, helping to create a better and more inclusive future through football.
Pick up the adidas 23/24 UCL & WUCL match balls at prodirectsport.com/soccer
