adidas extends European club football partnership

UEFA today announced the extension of its long-term partnership with adidas for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League competitions together with an agreement for the UEFA Super Cup.

The six-year deal will see adidas, the official supplier partner, further strengthening its successful association with each of the competitions until the end of 2017/18 season. Adidas match balls will be used in all UEFA Champions League matches, from the play-offs onwards, with a new official match ball design for each season and a special match ball design for each knockout round of the UEFA Champions League leading up to the final.

The design of the official UEFA Europa League match ball is based on the official logo of the competition and the ball will be used from the group stage until the final.

In addition, adidas will further promote the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League through a series of initiatives, including:

• Adidas will supply a high-performance product range worldwide, featuring the insignia of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League
• Bespoke UEFA Champions League corners will be set up in all adidas-own retail stores, offering insignia product ranges for the tournament
• UEFA Champions League match officials will sport a special kit incorporating the UEFA starball design
• Adidas will provide a bespoke UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League apparel and accessories range for each respective final
• Further UEFA Champions League grassroots programmes will be set up complete with UEFA Champions League-inspired apparel ranges
• Adidas will also continue to supply official match balls for the UEFA Women's Champions League final and the UEFA Futsal Cup finals.

Commenting on the agreement, David Taylor, CEO of UEFA Events SA, said: "We are very pleased that adidas has chosen to renew and further extend its agreement with UEFA for our European club football competitions. This extension proves the strength of our business relationship and ensures that adidas remains at the heart of European club football. Our continued collaboration will bring new opportunities for the promotion of the very best of European football to a worldwide audience."

Herbert Hainer, CEO of the adidas Group, said: "Being associated with the biggest club tournaments in Europe – the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League – will allow us to further strengthen and extend our global football market leadership."

UEFA Events is a wholly owned subsidiary of UEFA, created to manage and handle the European governing body's commercial and event operations. It is, among other things, responsible for generating media rights, sponsorship, licensing and hospitality revenue from all professional national team and club competitions, and for managing relationships with all associated commercial partners.

TEAM Marketing is the exclusive marketing agency of UEFA for the UEFA Champions League.