The love of football will be on display during next year’s Euro 2024 tournament, both on the pitch and through the match ball.
Adidas unveiled their “FUSSBALLLIEBE” (“Love of Football”) model match ball earlier this week in advance of Euro 2024, which will take place next summer in Germany. It features black “wing shapes” on a white base that are accentuated with colorful edges in green, orange, red and blue. Black dots outlined in blue fill some of the spaces between the wing shapes, and other small arcs of color follow the contours of the ball’s texture.
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.
— Adidas press release
The Adidas and Euro 2024 logos appear in blue.
The ball itself features Adidas’s PRECISIONSHELL construction, with 20 panels and “strategically placed deboss grooves on the ball’s outer shell [that] were meticulously researched and tested both in the lab and on pitch to control the airflow over the ball for maximum precision. The outer shell is supported by the groundbreaking CTR-CORE within the ball, that is designed for accuracy and consistency, supporting fast, precise play with maximum shape and air retention.” It’s made with recycled polyester and water-based ink, and sustainable bio-based materials — including corn fibres, sugar cane, wood pulp and rubber — have been integrated into every layer of the ball.
The FUSSBALLLIEBE model will also bring Adidas’s Connected Ball Technology to a European Championship for the first time. This technology sends precise ball data to video match officials in real time, helping them with semi-automated offside technology and with making faster match decisions.
“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,” said UEFA technical director and chief of football Zvonimir Boban. We are, as always, confident that adidas’ FUSSBALLLIEBE will mark another stride in our shared dedication to excellence.”
“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,” added Sam Handy, vice president of product and design with Adidas Football. “Bringing our Connected Ball Technology to UEFA EURO 2024 is a watershed moment in the history of the tournament, and a result of our commitment to groundbreaking innovation that improves the experience for match officials, players and fans.”
The final draw for Euro 2024 will take place on December 2, and the tournament kicks off on June 14, 2024, with host nation Germany in action at the Allianz Arena in Munich. The final will take place on July 14 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
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