Manufacturers
"Introducing Pille, the cheeky little football" FIFA Quote
Wherever GOLEO VI goes, Pille the talking football follows. They may be an unlikely pair but their shared love of sport makes them inseparable.
Where does Pille come from?
Pille is a true one-off. He was born on 22 August 2003 in the Adidas
football factory. Unlike most balls, he is not filled with air but
with a mysterious gas which brings him to life. Instead of being
sent for secret tests, Pille ended up as the match ball for the UEFA
European Championship fixture between Portugal and England on 24
June 2004 – and promptly flew over the crossbar from David Beckham's
penalty kick!
As Pille drifted high into the stand, he was caught by GOLEO VI who had somehow managed to sneak into the stadium without a ticket. Even today, he maintains that Pille deliberately flew into his arms – so he kept him. Pille still bitterly complains about what happened because he had hoped to prevent an English defeat (England lost on penalties).
Since then, Pille has continually been at GOLEO VI's side. GOLEO VI has taken his trusty sidekick to more stadiums than a little ball could dream of, and Pille is now happy in the arms of his new friend. Of course, the prickly little character would never admit to this. Pille is sure he was a key factor in GOLEO VI being selected as the Official Mascot. But he would say that, wouldn't he?
What is Pille like?
Pille is much more high-spirited than GOLEO VI and tries really hard
to be the star of the show. He loves the limelight and makes the
most of the attention lavished on him. After all, he never knows
when he might be left abandoned in an alleyway or end up floating
towards the sea on some river. As a ball, you have to live every
minute as if it was your last. Pille has an eye for the ladies and
is keen to meet new people and experience new things.
Pille is a real control freak with an incredible interest in
details. He always fears the worst and expects something to go
wrong. He is the type of backseat driver who cannot stop dispensing
unwelcome advice and would prefer to do everything himself – if only
he could, because there are lots of things you can't do when you
don't have arms or legs. Pille blurts out things that GOLEO VI and
others would prefer to keep quiet but saves himself with his
quick-witted humor.
Conscious of his diminutive stature, Pille tends to invent
important-sounding titles for himself (such as "Count Corner Flag").
Oh, and one more thing, Pille is a Leo!
What does Pille like?
Pille's first loves are football (just like GOLEO VI), flying and
women. He is also fanatical about anything that is round, astrology,
star goalkeepers and penalty kicks. Pille is a secret admirer of the
ball which elegantly hit the crossbar and bounced on the German goal
line in the final of the FIFA World Cup 1966 between Germany and
England. He's convinced that this famous ball was a forerunner of
his generation and that it must have had a mind of its own just like
Pille himself.
What doesn't Pille like?
Pille doesn't like it when goalkeepers punch him out of the box
instead of catching him, but his pet hate is backpasses to the
keeper. How boring! Surprisingly for a ball, Pille doesn't actually
like being kicked! However, this is a necessary evil especially when
he wants to fly far and away through the air - one of Pille's
favourite experiences. Last of all, Pille can't stand cat hair –
he's sure he is allergic to cats but has still to find a doctor who
will examine a football!
What can Pille do?
Pille is a proud graduate of the Uwe Seeler school where he learned
everything you need to know about balls – above all the basic
principles of the key issue of BALListics! Pille is a great admirer
of the true greats of the goalkeeping world who he regards as the
only equals to the real stars of the beautiful game, the footballs
themselves. Moreover, thanks to his amazing gas filling, he can even
move by himself. But you'll have to keep your eyes peeled if you
want to see him in action.
- FIFA [fifaworldcup.yahoo.com]
Mascot Photos: FIFA's collection of the mascot's photos:
Mascots: Click the FIFA World Cup 2006 Germany Mascots Name to learn more
