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Sport News South Africa

Match ball revealed for UEFA European Championships 2024 semi-finals and final

Adidas has unveiled the new Fussballliebe Finale official match ball to be used in the semi-finals and final of the UEFA European Championships 2024 in Germany.
Image supplied
Image supplied

The Fussballliebe Finale official match ball sees a refresh of the iconic visual elements from the Group Stage ball, with its prominent black wing shapes accentuated with vibrant edges, curves and dots that take on the unmistakable black, red and gold of the host nation, Germany.

The white base is replaced with an eye-catching silver, representing the silverware that the final 4 teams will be competing for. The silver colour of the ball has been specially developed and tested with athletes to ensure that it stands out on the pitch without reflecting light back off the surface.

First revealed by the brand at the home of Adidas Football in Berlin, the Fussballliebe Finale official match ball is the first UEFA European Championships final official match ball to feature Connected Ball technology - which delivers precise ball data to video match officials in real time.

Combining player position data with AI, the innovation contributes to UEFA’s semi-automated offside technology and has been key to supporting in-match decisions throughout the tournament.

The technology also enhances the overall fan viewing experience by offering accurate measurement of in-play data – including the ball speed, spin and distance the ball travelled before hitting the back of the net to watching fans.

The innovations continue, with the ball delivering a ground-breaking core called CTR-Core, designed to improve accuracy and consistency with maximum shape and air retention, and a PrecisionShell polyurethane (PU) skin featuring micro and macro textures and a 20-piece panel shape designed for enhanced aerodynamics.

Solène Störmann, global category director for Football Hardware at Adidas said: “With this being the first UEFA European Championships to be hosted by a single nation since 2016, we wanted the Fussballliebe Finale to be heavily inspired by the iconic colours of the German flag. But to really stand out as the ball for the most decisive games, we’ve opted for a distinctive silver base that makes the ball almost embody the coveted trophy that all these great teams will be competing for.”

New matchball plinth

Adidas also revealed a new matchball plinth for the semi-final and final pre-match ceremonies.

Designed by Gonzalez Haase, an innovative, Berlin-based artistic duo renowned for their boundary-pushing approach, the plinth is made of anodised aluminum in the shape of a triangular prism. The prism is made up of 54 triangles, representing the 54 UEFA associations that competed in the UEFA EURO 2024 qualification rounds.

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