Adidas Europass : Official Ball of UEFA EURO 2008™
The match ball for the finals was unveiled at the draw ceremony. Produced by Adidas and named the Europass, it is a 14-panel ball in the same construction as the Teamgeist, but with slightly modified surface structure. The ball’s new surface structure allows players to control and direct it perfectly in all weather conditions. The revolutionary PSC- Texture™ consists of a sophisticated and extremely fine structure on the ball’s outer skin that guarantees optimum grip between ball and boot.
The name "EUROPASS" refers to the common "EURO" pass between the two host countries of Austria and Switzerland. It also represents every pass the players will make on the pitch during UEFA EURO 2008. Last but not least, it signifies the co-operation among all the fans who will make their way to Austria and Switzerland for the final competition.
The adidas "EUROPASS" combines tradition with modernity. Its classic colouring - a white base colour with black dots - calls to mind the balls of bygone decades, yet its bonding with round dynamic elements in silver and red results in an innovative and very modern design which perfectly suits the host countries. Both countries combine tradition with creativity and a strong record of innovation in developing new products. The national flags of both countries have also been integrated into the ball design, with eight circles in a subtle silver effect. The 12 black dots contain individual graphic elements developed by UEFA to accompany the EURO logo. These elements stand for passion, friendship, action, training, fans and the winning goal, which appear as watermarks in the black dots of the adidas "EUROPASS".
Like +Teamgeist™, the official match ball of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, the adidas "EUROPASS" is constructed out of 14 panels using revolutionary Thermal Bonding Technology. This combined with the new PSC-Texture™ surface structure gives the "EUROPASS" its perfect handling characteristics and allows the players exceptional ball control. The unique outer skin improves power transmission, creates greater swerve and increases accuracy on the pitch, in all conceivable weather conditions. And for the goalkeeper too, providing a much better grip between glove and ball, substantially improves his catching of the ball.
The ground-breaking performance features of the adidas "EUROPASS" have been demonstrated in comprehensive comparison tests at Loughborough University in England and in countless checks in the adidas football laboratory in Scheinfeld. Adidas’ experience in football manufacturing is unsurpassed anywhere in the world, and is leading the industry in the production of the most modern and innovative balls since 1963. Since 1970, adidas has provided the official match ball for all major UEFA and FIFA tournaments. From 2008, adidas will also make the official ball for the Africa Cup of Nations organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
In the future, adidas will continue to use innovative technology to extend its world-leading position in football production and thus strengthen its position as the authentic symbol for high-performance sports articles for professionals and amateurs alike. adidas also intends to unveil more revolutionary innovations in match ball production for the UEFA, FIFA and CAF competitions.
