Nike’s Mercurial range is undoubtedly one of the most iconic boot ranges in the world and we are about to see one of their most iconic colourways return. Back in 2008 Cristiano Ronaldo was not the superstar he is today but it was his performances in a pair of Vapor IV Orange Peel boots which saw him grab everyone’s attention. Nike went on to released 10 colourways for the Vapor IV but it was in the Orange Peel colourway that Ronaldo scored his first hat-trick for Manchester United in a 6-0 thrashing of Newcastle as well as a memorable free-kick against Portsmouth.
Now Nike have re-released the colourway as these Orange/Black/Volt/Silver Superfly III boots ahead of the new season. The new colourway has been released as CR exclusive colourway to replace his Safari series. We have already spotted the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Arturo Vidal and Ji Dong-Won in the colourway however and expect a few more to join them. Ronaldo is expected to debut the new boots in Real Madrid’s preseason tour game against Mexican side Chivas de Guadalajara at the Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego tomorrow night.
The new colourway features all the same technology as the previous Superfly III boots such as Nike Sense Technology, Flywire and a carbon-fiber chassis.
Last night Manchester United played their second preseason fixture on their tour in the United States. The game against the Seattle Sounders proved to not much more than target practice for the United forwards as Fergie’s men put 7 past a hapless Sounders side.
We did notice United’s French fullback Patrice Evra wearing he recently released Nike Tiempo Legend IV Elite boots. Evra has been a T90 wearer for most of his United career but we first got a heads up that change was coming when Evra appeared in some of Nike’s PR images for the new Manchester United away kit in Tiempos. It isn’t the biggest surprise as Evra has often opted for the leather versions of the T90 in anyway. Evra joins fellow Tiempo wearer Park Ji-Sung in the new Elite boots and we wonder who else may be making a switch.
World Champion, European Champion, La Liga winner … and all in just one year. That’s not bad.
No, it’s not bad at all. It’s been an incredible year. Playing for the best national team in the world and the best club team in the world at the same time allows you to aspire to that kind of record. I have been fortunate enough to be part of those teams – that is what allowed me the opportunity to win the World Cup, which Spain had never achieved before. As for the Champions League and the Spanish league, that was special too: to be able to win the league for the third year in a row and win the European Cup again after 2009 is an amazing experience. I think we played brilliantly in the final against Manchester United – it was a great performance.
Are you surprised at everything that has happened? And the way it happened too… This has been an intense season, marked by four clásicos in just eighteen days.
Not really. We knew there would be nerves in the semi-final against Real Madrid, we knew that both sides would play the way that suited them – using the weapons that work for them. In the end, I think we were able to impose ourselves on the pitch, playing football the way we know, faithful to our philosophy. The best team went through. The truth is that in the final against United we felt like we were the better side all the way through. That confidence and conviction shows in the end. We played superbly; from the first minute to the last you could see how focused we were and then when you add the quality we have in the attack to that, well … it was a great game.
Not just because of the clásico series – although, quite honestly, that was the focal point – it feels a little like this has been the hardest season yet for this Barcelona team. The feeling seems to be that not only did Barcelona have to show their class but also their competitiveness. Is that a fair assessment?
Yes, because off the pitch we have had lots of accusations thrown at us – accusations that are not true. It is always hard to live with that because you know that there are people who believe the media, that there are people that believe what they read even if it’s not true. You try to ignore it but that’s not easy. We felt we had to prove ourselves day after day on the pitch, to show that if we’re the best it’s because we work hard, because we have talent and because we play the kind of football that right now no one else in Europe plays.
In that sense, Barcelona’s title celebrations really stand out. First there was the throwing of peppers into the stands, to symbolise the team’s guts. Then, there was the moment that you took the microphone to declare: “We don’t take drugs, we don’t dive, we don’t buy referees, we just play football”. That seemed like an act of vindication. Does it anger you for people to keep questioning what Barcelona have done, to keep inventing things?
Of course it does but we can’t really do anything about it. Those are the weapons they have chosen to use to shoot us down – to annoy us or try to distract us, to try to stop us playing at our best. We just try to do our job and focus on what we can control. We have to concentrate not on what they say but on winning titles. And for the moment, it’s working. The challenge for us now is to keep that going.
You’ve been a Barcelona fan all your life, your grandfather was a club director, you’re Catalan … this year must have been all the more special for you. Can you explain a bit what it is like being a culé in a moment like this?
I think all culés are very proud of this team. We have performed, we have done the club proud. We have shown what we can do for Barcelona and when you win tittles people are happy. That reaches you and what we want now is to do the same thing next season and keep them happy.
How will you go about trying to repeat that feat for next season? On the face of it, it would appear quite difficult to maintain the same level of motivation after a year in which you have won virtually everything …
Every year is harder than the last but not because of a lack of motivation but because your opponents continue to improve to try to beat you – you know that they are going to sign great players and constantly strengthen, you know they keep fighting. But we’ve been very consistent over the last three years, we have been able to maintain our level. Looking back, people thought that the second season would be hard because we had won everything in the first season, but we won another league. Then people thought that the players would relax after winning the world cup, that we would not fight so hard as we had, but instead we have won a league and European Cup double. I think we have shown that we can continue to be hungry and that we have won the respect and admiration of lots of people because of that. Our idea is to continue and try to carry on winning titles.
But how do you do that? Frankly, I’d retire after winning the treble! You’re never going to better that.
Yeah, but you always aspire to more. You know that your trophy cabinet always has room for more. You want to be able to look back on your career and say that you were at a great club, that you experienced great moments. Also, there’s something less concrete than that: when you’re a footballer and you retire, I think the thing you look back on is the moments as much as the titles – those moments that make you happy. So you keep wanting to have that experience. You keep striving for that. Success brings great satisfaction.
Was there a key moment during the season in terms of the motivation of the team? From the outside there seemed to be a shift between the lost Copa del Rey final and the Champions League semi-final. What happened during those few days? Did Guardiola motivate you in any specific way?
The Copa del Rey final was a real blow, very hard to take, but we have always shown that we are able to come back from those kinds of moments. Then we went from that to playing the first leg of the semi-final at the Bernabéu and we were ready. Guardiola has a huge influence on us – his words reach you, they convince you. He knows how to motivate us and I think he has done an exceptional job over the last three years. We feel very privileged to be with him.
So what did he say to you after the Copa del Rey final?
That we were still the same team, with the same talent: if we kept on working as we have, he said, we are better than them. We showed that at the Bernabéu and at the Camp Nou.
What impact has Guardiola had on you personally?
The way we play, the centre backs have a lot of work. But it is not just defensive work, it is offensive work too. There’s a lot of responsibility on me when it comes to bringing the ball out from the back and starting the moves. Also, from the back you see the whole pitch and you have a duty to help organise the team, to make sure players are well positioned – it’s your job to read the game. Those are the things he asks of me. The coach is very demanding and that’s why we have had such good results.
Barcelona play with the defence very high. Is that a relief or a disaster for a centre-back? The team pressures high to make sure that teams can’t begin to attack you but when they do they tend to have a lot of space and men over on you.
It’s a relief when we are controlling the game, when we have a lot of possession and we’re focused. But when we struggle to move the ball with pace and keep possession then we are exposed to quick counter-attacks and that’s hard because you find yourself running back towards your own goal, which is the worst position to be in. That’s where it becomes really demanding but we know what club we’re at and we know what is asked of us.
Tito Vilanova, the assistant coach, said the other day: “Without Gerard, the whole thing would have collapsed.” What did he mean? What is your specific role in the Barcelona machine? Why are you so important for the model to work?
I imagine he said it because there was a time during the season when Abidal was ill, Puyol was injured, and we didn’t have many centre-backs. I imagine he was referring to the fact that if I had been injured as well we would have suffered more.
But there’s a systematic importance too, isn’t there? It’s not just about numbers. You’re the starting point of everything …
Everyone has a role and of course I try to help as much as I can. That’s what Pep does – he shows us exactly what each person has to do, what role they have to play. Whoever plays at centre-back, whether it’s Mascherano or Busquets, has shown that they are talented enough to play there. But of course, the fewer injuries we have the better.
What about your role alongside Puyol? It feels like the perfect partnership: he imposes upon you what you maybe didn’t have and you give him what he lacks … But it seems to work on a person level as well, not just a professional one.
We compliment each other very well. From the first minute I arrived here we have understood each other perfectly on and off the pitch. Sometimes a look is enough to know what we need from each other. I hope we can play together for years until he finally retires.
He seems almost younger alongside you … it’s like your personality has rubbed off on him and he has got a new lease of life.
Puyol has always been young in spirit. He works very hard, he has a great attitude and despite being 33 I think he has the body of a younger a man – he is a real athlete and he’ll be playing for years yet at Barcelona
To what extent are Barcelona’s players conscious of history? Does that provide extra motivation? For example, a fourth league in a row would equal the Dream Team, while a second successive Champions League has not been done before … is this not about a season so much as en epoch?
That’s the thing: every season you find new points of motivation. Right now there is no way of judging this team. People talk about the best in history but we won’t know that until afterwards, until we retire. What we have now is the opportunity to keep winning and the privilege of having come together at the same time. We know that we have lots of very good players here and we want to enjoy that for as long as we can. Chasing those kind of historic records helps. When our cycle comes to an end then we will be able to evaluate how good this team was and whether it was one of the best in history. Right now, we want to enjoy the moment. We believe we can win more.
You just used a key word: enjoy. Sometimes it seems like people don’t allow themselves the time to enjoy success. As soon as you win something they’re already demanding more. This is already historic. Is it hard to not be allowed to just enjoy the moment a bit more?
Yes but everyone has very short memories in football. You win things, the summer comes and soon it’s all forgotten; you have to win all over again. If the following season you don’t win anything, well … We know that for a club like Barcelona it is important to win something every year, and that is what we are going to try to do. We know we have won the league and the Champions League but we also know that does not allow us to take it easy – we are aware that the fans will again be demanding success.
Is it hard to live with that kind of pressure?
It’s hard when the first season is like it was for me, when you win everything and they start asking for the same thing every year, which is impossible. But you get used to that and you know that at a great club that’s always going to be the case. You have to be at the very top all the time.
Fans always say it’s easy for footballers – it’s only a sport, you’re paid very well, it’s an easy life … that message must reach you. How does it make you feel? Are fans conscious of the pressure you live under? Is it harder than it looks?
We’re not machines. We’re people and in the end there are lots of factors that can affect you. Sometimes people don’t understand that you’re a person and you have a private life. There are things that get to you and sometimes that shows on the pitch. That’s when you have to try to isolate yourself from everything that’s going on and try to play as best you can regardless of everything else.
How do you rid yourself of that pressure?
It’s hard, it really is We’re people and it does have an impact. But I just try to be professional. When you go into a dressing room you know you have 90 minutes ahead of you, you focus on that and you have to try to give everything you have got.
What are the most important characteristics of a football boot for you?
These are great boots, they are very comfortable, the contact with the ball is good – you can really feel it, which is vital. That helps you control the ball better, it gives you a better feel for it, better touch. The leather is incredible; it adapts perfectly to the foot. It’s an elegant boot too. Orange stands out a bit but it goes well with the black. Nike have done a great job. I think they’re very good boots.
Part of the obsession in the development of these boots is the touch … that’s very much the signature of Barcelona too …
Definitely. Barcelona’s style is about touch, about maintaining possession of the ball, controlling games. These boots fit that and I think they’ll be great for me.
How does that Barcelona philosophy get so ingrained? What’s the mantra at the club? How are players educated in the Barcelona approach?
The model is the same at all levels of the club. The day I joined was the same as it is now. The fundamental idea is to have the ball, to control games, to impose ourselves always. There is continuity and at first team level Barcelona have managed to achieve that over the last three years; we have brought that philosophy to the field.
Is it an exaggeration to talk of Barcelona DNI?
I think it’s reality. Every player that comes here from another club struggles to adapt, even if he is a great player, because our personality is special and very specific. It is a kind of DNI. Our players have lived with that from a very early age, they have been brought up on it. That means that those kids who have been here for a long time find the step up to the first team easier – because there is a continuity of style.
But your style is a Manchester United style too. Or, at least, your education is … What did you learn there and what are the biggest differences?
Football is much more physical there. It is more direct, the are fewer touches on the ball, it is less elaborate – there are more long balls, it’s more aerial. Teams look to get into the opposition areas as quick as possible and force chances. You have to adapt to everything so when I was there I had to work hard on the physical side of the game and increase my speed – English football is very fast. That added to my game.
Are you a better player because of that time there?
I think it was very good for my career. I didn’t play as much as I would have liked and that made me strong mentally. I also learnt new things and experienced something different. I was 17 or 18 and I was playing with Rooney and Ronaldo … that was hugely enriching. Right now I am enjoying great times thanks to them.
There has been lots of talk about the players Barcelona have to sign; people are focusing on the weaknesses of the team. Which seems bizarre …
Yes, but a team that wants to win things all the time like Barcelona has to renew itself each year, it has to improve. Even if you have won tittles there are things you can do to get stronger.
There’s also the European Championships at the end of the season. You weren’t there in 2008 so that must be a particular target for you. It’s the only trophy you haven’t got.
True. But right now my aim is simply to have a good preseason, prepare well and get ready. It is going to be a very long season which will start with two tough Super Copa games with Real Madrid and then with Porto in the European Super Cup. We want to win that because those are trophies we want to see in the club’s museum. Then we’ll try to win the league, the Champion League … and then, after that, we’ll think about the European Championships with Spain. Hopefully we’ll get there in good shape, 100%, and ready to win it for Spain.
David Beckham was one of the original boot customizers when he began adding numbers and names to his boots. These days the names of his boys Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz have been stitched on the instep of his boots. That list however now includes their baby sister Harper Seven.
To celebrate the birth of their new daughter David Beckham turned out for LA Galaxy against his former club Real Madrid in a pair of bespoke White/Pink/Electricity Adidas AdiPower Predator boots.Beckham and the Galaxy were hosting Real Madrid in the opening game of the Herbalife World Football Challenge at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum yesterday (Real Madrid won 4-1).
We are used to Beckham wearing unique boots as the ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid star has is own line of Adidas Predator boots we know as the ‘DB’ range but as far as we know this is a once off boot colourway and will not be available for purchase.
If you think they look familiar you are probably right. Beckham’s special boots look a lot like the recently released Ladies White/Pink/Black AdiPower Predator Adidas launched for the Women’s World Cup.
This season Manchester United will play in a striking blue and black away kit, inspired by the blue kits worn in several of their most famous victories, including the 1948 FA Cup final and the 1968 European Cup final.
The new away shirt consists of a royal blue body and sleeves with hoops made of small midnight navy blue and black stripes. There are exactly eleven stripes in each hoop to represent each member of the United team. The pattern of the shirt is modelled on a previous United away shirt, which consisted of red and white hoops and was worn for seven seasons between 1932 and 1939. It was also briefly adopted as their home shirt for the last two months of the 1933-34 season.
While the history and tradition of the club is present in the shirt design, the new away kit is made from Nike’s ground-breaking recycled polyester – which for the first time includes both the shirt and shorts. Each complete kit is made up of up to thirteen reclaimed plastic water bottles. This new manufacturing process reduces energy consumption by up to 30% compared to manufacturing traditional polyester and saves nearly 100 million plastic water bottles from being dumped at landfill sites.
The away shorts are entirely black except for the same hoop from the shirt consisting of eleven midnight navy blue and black stripes being featured at the bottom of the back of each leg. The new away socks are black with a small white devil from the club crest on the calf and a royal blue band at the top.
The lightweight kits (13% lighter than previous versions) actively regulate the players’ body temperatures on the pitch to keep them dry and cool at all times through use of Nike Dri-FIT technology. This technology draws sweat away from the player’s body through the material where it can evaporate. Temperature regulation is helped by ventilation zones, consisting of hundreds of tiny laser cut holes from the under arms to the waistband, allowing air to circulate to keep players dry, cool and comfortable. For the first time the club crest on the front of the shirt is heat transferred, making it even lighter and crucially allowing this area to now be ventilated as well.
The shirt has a new aerodynamic fit this season, now slimmer and more athletic, providing 17% more stretch than the Manchester United shirt of two years ago. While a bonded hem offers a streamlined look that reduces irritation caused by chafing.
To complement the new match day kit Nike has launched a unique Manchester United line of training and lifestyle clothing for both players and fans to wear on and off the pitch.
The kit and extended line are now available for purchase.
We were a little surprised to see the above PR image. United’s French full-back Patrice Evra has been a T90 Laser wearer for years but is in a pair of the Tiempo Legend IV Elite boots for the new PR campaign.
As Manchester City Football Club look ahead to an exciting new season, Umbro have revealed the new 2011/2012 Home shirt which captures the passion of the fans in a unique way. The new Home shirt, which is tailored by Umbro, features a soundwave graphic of fans singing the team’s famous anthem, ‘Blue Moon’, which is subtly embedded within the shirt.
To help launch the shirt, Umbro teamed up with Beady Eye, fronted by famous City fan Liam Gallagher, who have recorded a special version of Blue Moon which mixes into their new single, The Beat Goes On. Liam Gallagher said: “I’ve been a City fan since I was a kid so to be involved with the launch of a new kit is colossal. Manchester City fans are known for having a lot of style and the new shirt looks mega. I love the soundwave idea and the Mod-inspired collar looks proper smart. Blue Moon is a top tune and has been City’s song for as long as I can remember. It’s been covered by loads of people but the only good one until now was the one Elvis did. I hope the fans buzz off our version and sing along to it at the stadium.“
Blue Moon is well known as the Manchester City fans’ signature song however the new Home shirt captures it in a unique way. David Blanch, Senior Designer at Umbro, commented: “You can go anywhere in the world and people will know two things about Manchester: football and music. For the new Manchester City Home shirt, we wanted to combine the elements of football and sound in a new and original way.
“Our starting point was the club’s anthem, Blue Moon. When fans are singing Blue Moon, it becomes more than just a song – it’s a connection between the fans and the players. We went into the Stadium to record a section of the fans singing the song. From this recording, we extracted a 19 second clip and created a soundwave graphic which is used within the shirt. One of the most powerful ways in which any fan can positively influence a football match is through sound. We’ve harnessed that and made it part of the Manchester City’s home kit. This is a truly innovative football strip.”
The soundwave graphic runs across the heart of the shirt but does not interfere with the club crest. The raven [dark navy] colouration around the crest is to give it a strong visual identity. The neckline is a combination of a bold white V neck with an inner chequerboard collar stand. The inspiration was taken from the from white V shirt worn in the League cup winning season in 1976 and the classic, smart style of Mod polo shirts. The same blue and white chequered board pattern can also be seen on MCFC flags all around the Etihad Stadium on match days.
Comfort is another important factor in the design of the new kit. The construction was inspired by tailored dress shirts, but using innovative technical fabrics. The seams around the sleeves and across the back yoke (shoulder) areas are inserted with high performance stretchable mesh, with the holes in the fabric opening up in response to movement to let the wearer’s skin breathe. The mesh is also carried onto the side of the shirt through panels that show the traditional white colour when celebrating a goal.
The new Home strip features blue shorts with white side panels that visually connect with the shirt, to create a dominance of the famous City vista blue. The socks feature a special anatomical footbed and feature bold blue and white hoops, a pattern which has seen City through some of the most successful periods of their history.
Trevor Cairns, Chief Marketing Officer for Umbro, added: “‘Blue Moon’ is the connection between Manchester City fans and the players. Hearing the song – whether it’s before, during or after games – is an inspiration to the City players. We wanted to celebrate this relationship by capturing the song within the shirt. This is the first time that fans have been featured within a football shirt in this way. We hope both the players as well as the fans are proud to wear it.”
Chief Brand and Commercial Officer for Manchester City, Ian Cafferky, said: “Manchester City Football Club has always connected well with fashion and music. This special relationship has spanned decades and helped shape Manchester’s rich cultural landscape. Blue Moon is part of City’s DNA. Liam covering the song is a fitting tribute to both the Club and the fans. As a true blue himself, it is great to have him as the first fan to wear the new home kit. We look forward to playing it next season in the stadium.”
The new 2011/2012 Manchester City home kit is available for pre-order now and will be on sale from 22nd July.
Umbro have given us a little taste of what to expect from the new Manchester City Home Kit. The new kit for the 2011/12 season is something very special indeed, with a story of the club woven into the shirts very fabric. Here, Umbro designer and the man behind City’s shirts David Blanch gives us some insight into the idea behind the new Manchester City home shirt.
Umbro pays homage to one of the most significant moments in New York City history, the Blackout of 1977, with its New York Cosmos Blackout collection for Autumn/Winter 2011.
Applying its tailoring ethos to a new black-on-black range, Umbro has created an off-field collection building on the current New York Cosmos collection.
On 13th July 1977, legendary Brazilian footballer Carlos Alberto Torres arrived in New York to play for The New York Cosmos and reunite with his Brazilian teammate, Pelé. At 8.53pm that evening, the city that never sleeps stood still in darkness as an electrical blackout swept across New York City.
The blackout will not only be remembered for the chaos that hit the city, but also for feeding the burgeoning Hip-Hop movement of the time. New beats and sounds flowed throughout the street parties which popped up across the five boroughs while the lights were out and gave rise to a new culture.
It is this amazing true story that inspired the Umbro design team to ‘blackout’ new pieces for The New York Cosmos collection, creating a modern and pinnacle range of sportswear items that reflects this legendary moment in New York history and pays tribute to a Cosmos Legend in Carlos Alberto Torres.
The New York Cosmos Blackout collection celebrates the understated elegance of applying black to an otherwise colourful sport. It includes the current New York Cosmos Home Jersey, a tailored silhouette with a classic aesthetic, all blacked out and combined with modern performance benefits.
The wider range includes key Umbro sportswear items including a classic polo silhouette, the Graphic Tee, the Walkout Jacket and the Taped Track jacket which features a sleek all-black version of the iconic 1970s Umbro Diamond Taping along the arms.
The New York Cosmos crest features throughout the collection in a reflective material in a nod to the subtle impact created by the torch and candlelight used throughout the 1977 blackout, while the ‘New York Cosmos’ print is applied in UV ink to celebrate the return of power throughout the city.
The AW 2011 New York Cosmos Blackout collection will be available exclusively from Selfridges from 13th July and selected independent retailers from August.
At the launch of the new Club kits at the Nike Store in Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, Pretoria on Tuesday, Nike and Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club officially unveiled the Club’s new home and away kit for the 2011-2012 season. This season Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club will play in a new home kit inspired by the traditional yellow and green club colours, infused with a distinctive sublimated pro-gold geometric stripe print. The tradition and the heritage of the South African ‘Brazilians’ are rooted in the home shirt design.
The body of the new home shirts will feature the iconic Sundowns yellow which have been subtly infused with a new geometric gold stripe. The classic, refined collar features the traditional Sundowns green which extend down the shoulders to the sleeve. On the back of the shirt below the neck reads ‘Sundowns’ while the inside front, on the back of the crest, reads ‘The Sky Is The Limit’, which is Sundowns’ renown motto.
The body of the new away jersey features a bespoke geometric stripe print in the Club’s traditional away colours of blue and white, making the shirt look fast and contemporary. While these geometric stripes are partly influenced by modern aesthetics, it is the Club’s motto – ‘The Sky is the Limit’ that inspires this unique, authentic design, and reinforces the Club’s commitment to a vision of growth and success in the new season.
The home shorts are blue with a single white stripe at the back and are paired with white socks featuring the blue trim. The white away shorts feature a single blue stripe at the back and are paired with blue socks with a white trim.
The new kits are made from Nike’s ground-breaking recycled polyester – which for the first time includes both the shirt and shorts. Each complete kit is made up of up to thirteen reclaimed plastic water bottles. This new manufacturing process reduces energy consumption by up to 30% compared to manufacturing traditional polyester and saves nearly 100 million plastic water bottles from being dumped at landfill sites.
The lightweight kits are 13% lighter than previous versions, and actively regulate the players’ body temperatures on the pitch to help keep them dry and cool at all times through use of Nike Dri-FIT technology. This technology draws sweat away from the player’s body through the material where it can evaporate.
Temperature regulation is helped by ventilation zones, consisting of hundreds of tiny laser cut holes from the under arms to the waistband, allowing air to circulate to help keep players dry, cool and comfortable. For the first time the club crest on the front of the shirt is heat transferred, making it even lighter and crucially allowing this area to now be ventilated as well. The shirt has a new aerodynamic fit this season, now slimmer and more athletic, providing 17% more stretch than the Sundown’s shirt of two years ago. While a bonded hem offers a streamlined look that reduces irritation caused by chafing.
The new kit will be available in retail from 14 July 2011.
Adidas unveil the new Finale 11 ball for use in the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League.
This tournament is in its 57th season and this will be the 20th season of the UEFA Champions League since being rebranded from the European Cup. Adidas continue their association with the tournament with the release of the new Finale 11 – a new, super colorful version of last season’s ball.
The Finale 11 has undergone the full FIFA rating for weight, water uptake, shape and size retention and will undoubtedly produce superb performance. The new PSC texture advancement from the ‘pimple’ design provides better power, swerve and control and allows the players to control and direct the ball better in all weather conditions.
Star shaped panels are joined using revolutionary thermal bonding technology, for perfect aerodynamics, prolonged the life of the ball as well as a more predictable trajectory, better touch and lower water uptake.
The new colourway of the ball is unique and something we have not seen on a ball before. You may however remember the pattern from a previous post we had here on TRW. We recently profiled the new Fingersave goalkeepers gloves Petr Cech will wear next season (see them here) which feature a similar same ‘rainbow’ colour effect.
Nike have unveiled the new Premier League, La Liga and Serie A ball for the 2011/12 season – the brand new Nike Seitiro football.
Nike Seitiro Premier League Ball
Nike’s T90 Tracer from last season is replaced this season with the nee Seitiro ball, which is the first ball since 2003/04 not to carry the T90 mark. At first glance the new Seitiro is very different to its predecessors and features Nike RaDaR technology, which stands for Rapid Decisive and Response. The lab and field tested standard of visual performance allows players to see the ball better due to the combination of graphic design and contrast which creates an optimal visual signal picture on pitch. Validated on pitch with some of the best athletes in the world, the combination of ball casing color, graphic design, and contrast creates an optimal visual signal on the pitch. What does this all mean? It means that NIKE RaDaR allows players to make faster decisions on the pitch and stay ahead of the pace of the game.
The micro-textured synthetic casing on the Nike Seitiro ball creates a golf ball dimple effect delivers confident accuracy and aerodynamic stability as airflow is equalized over the ball surface allowing players to have total control of the flight and movement of the ball. Geometric Precision and GEO II balanced technology distributes pressure around the ball for a 360 degree sweet spot for a consistent, accurate and powerful strike. Cross-linked Nitrogen-Expanded Foam, Nike claim this ball will offer exceptional shape retention and durability. The bladder consists of a six-wing carbon latex for explosive acceleration.
Nike Seitiro La Liga Ball
The Seitiro has also endured FIFA’s testing and certification program. A series of seven lab tests, ranging from circumference and roundness retention, to water absorption and rebound attributes ensure balls carrying the FIFA approved mark are guaranteed for consistent performance.
Nike Seitiro Serie A Ball
The ball’s first competitive outing will be during the Copa America kicking off 1st July. The English Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Asian Champions League, Asian Cup for federations and the Copa Libertadores will all use the Seitiro. The Nike Seitiro will also be used for the home games of the Nike Federations such as Brasil, Netherlands, France, and Portugal.
Nike generic colourway for use in internationals and tournaments.
This season Inter will play in a new home kit inspired by the traditional blue and black club colours, and infused with the inherent elegance and sartorial flair of Italian fashion. The body of the shirt features Inter’s iconic blue and black stripes, which are the thinnest stripes for more than thirty years to create a new and more stylish aesthetic.
The shirt also reflects the classic tailoring and craftsmanship of a shirt from the renowned Milan fashion houses by consisting of a firm woven stand collar, a bonded placket with two buttons, a dropped seam on the shoulder and a deeper cuff on the sleeves. On the back of the shirt below the neck reads ‘Inter’, while inside the front of the shirt, on the back of the club crest, is the phrase ‘Nerazzurri’, Inter’s renowned nickname which translates as ‘The black and blues ones’. The home shorts this season are black with a woven royal blue tape along the side, and a stylish seam down the front, while the new home socks are entirely black with ‘Inter’ on the back of each calf.
While the history and tradition of the club is present in the shirt design, the new home kit is made from Nike’s ground-breaking recycled polyester – which for the first time includes both the shirt and shorts. Each complete kit is made up of up to thirteen reclaimed plastic water bottles. This new manufacturing process reduces energy consumption by up to 30% compared to manufacturing traditional polyester and saves nearly 100 million plastic water bottles from being dumped at landfill sites.
The light weight kits (13% lighter than previous versions) actively regulate the players’ body temperatures on the pitch to keep them dry and cool at all times through use of Nike Dri-FIT technology.This technology draws sweat away from the player’s body through the material where it can evaporate. Temperature regulation is helped by ventilation zones, consisting of hundreds of tiny laser cut holes from the under arms to the waistband, allowing air to circulate to keep players dry, cool and comfortable.
For the first time the club crest on the front of the shirt is heat transferred, making it even lighter and crucially allowing this area to now be ventilated as well. The shirt has a new aerodynamic fit this season, now slimmer and more athletic, providing 17% more stretch than the Inter Milan shirt of two years ago. While a bonded hem offers a streamlined look that reduces irritation caused by chafing.
To compliment the new match day kit Nike has launched a unique Inter line of training and lifestyle clothing for both players and fans to wear on and off the pitch. The kit and extended line is available for pre-order from July 8th.
