Final ball has Athens flavour

The official ball for the 2007 UEFA Champions League final in Athens on 23 May has been unveiled by UEFA and adidas.

Greek inspiration
The Finale Athens, featuring state of the art technology, was displayed at a special ceremony in the Greek capital this afternoon. The design is based on the popular UEFA Champions League starball logo and the blue and white of the Greek national flag. Greece coach Otto Rehhagel, who also has plenty of experience in Europe's premier club competition, was a special guest at the launch.

'Best performance'
adidas claim the 14-panel design "creates a perfectly round ball allowing great accuracy and control", adding: "The combination of the revolutionary panel shape, a new carcass construction and the thermal bonding technology provide this official match ball for the final with the best performance qualities ever." The company has been supplying balls for the UEFA Champions League since the 2001/02 season and will continue to do so until at least 2009.

Home honour
Both finalists will receive the Finale Athens ball for use in their pre-match training in advance of the 23 May showpiece at the Olympic Stadium. The team that comes out on top in the final will also have the exclusive right to use the ball for home matches as they defend the prestigious trophy next season, as was the case with FC Barcelona this term. The draw for the latter rounds of the UEFA Champions League will take place in Athens tomorrow.