Manufacturers
9 December 2005
by FIFAworldcup.com
The Adidas +Teamgeist™ is the name chosen for the Official Ball of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™. Unveiled to a worldwide audience at the Final Draw in Leipzig on Friday, the Adidas +Teamgeist™ marks another new milestone in ball technology for the Herzogenaurach-based company, supplier of the official FIFA World Cup™ match ball since 1970.
Adidas CEO Herbert Hainer discusses the new ball
The new ball is a triumph of the designer's craft and will delight players with its revolutionary technology. It is formed from a totally new configuration of 14 panels, providing a smooth, perfectly spherical exterior and delivering significant improvements in terms of precision and control.
The stars at Real Madrid have already come to know and appreciate this extreme precision in a spell of intensive testing. "Just using it in training, all the players at Real Madrid have been impressed," says midfielder David Beckham. The England captain is hugely impressed with the ball's flight and direction. "With the ball's movement, it doesn't go off everywhere, it goes where you want it to go and that's important. Your passing, controlling and shooting of the ball - it's in one direction and that's what you need."
The ball has a classic colour scheme. The black and white reflect host nation Germany's traditional strip, while the gold stripes were inspired by the glittering hue of the FIFA World Cup Trophy. "You have the old-style colours which remind us a bit about football's history but also the modern technology, so you have a blend of the future and the past," says Brazil midfielder Kaka. He and his team-mates at AC Milan are as convinced of the ball's qualities as their counterparts at Madrid following similar tests.
The name focuses on football as a pure sporting activity. The German word Teamgeist – team spirit in English – homes in on the single indispensable attribute a side must possess if they are to stand any chance of hoisting the golden trophy. "The ball's name is a brilliant idea, especially for a World Cup tournament," Kaka adds. "During the World Cup, players are together for 50-60 days and team spirit is very important. You cannot achieve anything on your own."
The ball had to pass a series of stringent laboratory tests before being unveiled to the world. Happily, it not only met the range of criteria stipulated by FIFA's rigorous test procedures, it surpassed them. Only balls which meet these demanding standards are permitted to bear a FIFA Approved stamp. One player who particularly appreciates the new ball's precision is France playmaker Zinedine Zidane. "When you kick it, it goes in the right direction which sounds obvious but is really important," the French star says.
The revolutionary technology allows players to deploy the full range of their abilities, as the qualities and attributes of the ball remain absolutely identical with every shot. Only a perfectly spherical ball with a smooth surface offers consistent and reliable movement through the air on shooting. Loved by goalscorers, feared by goalkeepers, the new Adidas +Teamgeist™ offers a guarantee of goals and excitement at the forthcoming FIFA World Cup.
