Soccer Cleats 101 Soccer Cleats News and Reviews
adidas today officially released the official UCL match ball for this season, the Finale 15. This version continues to boast the traditional and world famous star panel design but with a twist – it features a reinterpretation of the elements contained on the city crest of Milan – the location for this year’s UEFA Champions League Final.
The stars of the predominantly white ball come in striking tones of blue which carry a distinctive snake skin element. In addition these also feature design references to the colors of the EXPO – a Universal Exposition to be held in Milan this year.
We’ve actually had this ball in testing for a few weeks and the most interesting aspect of it is the snake skin element on the stars. Basically, there is extra definition and a raised texture feel that runs across a blue snake skin pattern – as seen below. This provides additional traction on the ball and if striked correctly, improves the amount of spin you can get on shots.
For those wondering, this ball has been available on the market for a while now. Being that it was used in the prelimenary rounds, it only made sense for fans to have an opportunity to own one. The “official” release coincides with tomorrows Champions League group draw, where the tournament really kicks-off.
If you want to see more, find the ball listed at soccer.com.
Finally, what better wear to understand more about the ball than to talk with those behind its creation. Franziska Loeffelmann, lead designer, gave us some important details on what is so special about this latest version.
HOW DOES THIS YEARS BALL DIFFER FROM 2014/15?
We ended last season with the bright and colorful ball that was used for the UEFA Champions League Final in Berlin. The move into this season represents a much cleaner concept.
The group stage ball introduces the upcoming final city – Milan – in an elegant, clean way through the colors we’ve used as part of the design.
WHAT WAS THE DESIGN INSPIRATION BEHIND THE BALL?
The inspiration for the design and concept stems from Milan, and all that the city represents. This is shown with the snakes, which run over the stars, whilst the red thin line is indicating the cross. The finishing of the stars is very shiny, which is designed to call out the snake even more.
ARE THERE ANY NEW TECHNICAL ELEMENTS TO THE 2015/16 BALL?
To give the ball a new in-hand feel, we have used two very different textures. The stars are covered with the Brazuca texture call ‘muturm’, whereas the hexagons are finished with a soft texture called ‘vimini’.
