The design of the ball is inspired by the joy of football and the energy of the tournament and will feature adidas Connected Ball Technology for the first time at a UEFA EURO.
FUSSBALLLIEBE, the Official Match Ball of UEFA EURO 2024 that will be used during the final tournament, was unveiled today by UEFA and adidas at a special event in front of the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
German for “love of football”, FUSSBALLLIEBE features adidas Connected Ball Technology for the first time at a UEFA EURO – providing unprecedented insight into every element of the movement of the ball and contributing to UEFA’s video assistant refereeing decision-making process. The outer shell of the ball is supported within it by the CTR-CORE which is designed for accuracy and consistency, supporting fast, precise play with maximum shape and air retention.
Zvonimir Boban, UEFA technical director and chief of football, said:
“The UEFA European Football Championship stands as the pinnacle of national team competition in Europe and we are committed to ensuring that every aspect, from the venues to the equipment, upholds the highest standards of quality and performance. We are, as always, confident that Adidas’ FUSSBALLLIEBE will mark another stride in our shared dedication to excellence.”
The design of FUSSBALLLIEBE represents the movement of the ball and the energy of the game through prominent black wing shapes accentuated with colourful edges, curves and dots. The use of bold red, blue, green and orange celebrates both the vibrance that the competing nations bring to the tournament and the pure simplicity of football that attracts so much love from fans around the world. Illustrations of each of the tournament’s stadiums appear on the ball alongside the name of each host city.
As well as using recycled polyester and water-based ink, FUSSBALLLIEBE is made from more sustainable bio-based materials than any previous adidas Official Match Ball. Every layer of the ball has been adjusted to include materials such as corn fibres, sugar cane, wood pulp and rubber.
Sam Handy, VP Product and Design, adidas Football, said: “When designing this Official Match Ball, we were inspired by the energy and diversity of the tournament and the love that Europe has for football. With that in mind, we hope FUSSBALLLIEBE will bring joy wherever it’s kicked.”
The unveiling of FUSSBALLLIEBE kicks off five days of activity at the Olympiastadion to celebrate the love for football that includes special appearances from past UEFA EURO legends and current icons, freestyle battles and opportunities for fans to try out the ball. And, from tomorrow, adidas will spread the joy of the new FUSSBALLLIEBE across the other nine host cities with a roadshow featuring pop-up inner-city football pitches and ball giveaways. Each host city will receive 900 additional balls to donate locally to schools, football clubs and other initiatives.
The FUSSBALLLIEBE Official Match Ball is available to purchase as of today in adidas retail and selected retailers, and online at adidas.com, with 1% of net sales contributed towards Common Goal. Common Goal is a charitable project created by streetfootballworld and Juan Mata to contribute towards high-impact football charities worldwide that use the sport as a tool to tackle social issues, and is a partner of the UEFA Foundation for Children.
UEFA EURO 2024 will take place from 14 June to 14 July 2024 across ten host cities in Germany: Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart. Find out all you need to know about the final tournament here.
Credit: UEFA
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