Players in Germany’s Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga are getting an early look at the balls they’ll be trying to either score with or stop next season.
The leagues and manufacturer Derbystar unveiled the official 2022-23 match ball on Thursday, May 19. The Bundesliga Brilliant APS model is mainly white, with “multi-coloured silhouettes of supporters holding scarves and flags adorning the match ball’s panels.”
The high-visibility ball used over the winter months is mostly base, with the silhouettes appearing in black and yellow.
The Brilliant APS model is made from high-tech polyurethane with a diamond texture over the entire surface. It boasts “optimum aerodynamic properties and sustainable roundness” thanks to its 32-panel construction, as well as “extremely soft ball contact” for “precise flight behavior and lively jumping behavior.”
Derbystar has supplied the Bundesliga with match balls since the 2018-19 season. The company also supplies match balls for the Canadian Premier League and the Dutch Eredivisie.
The balls will be used for the first time in the 2.Bundesliga on July 15 and in the Bundesliga on August 5.