Adidas reveals C/League final ball with ‘peace’ slogan

Adidas has revealed the official match ball for the Champions League final, inscribed with a ‘peace’ message in a clear reference to the war in Ukraine.

Liverpool and Real Madrid meet in the European showpiece at the Stade de France, Paris, on Saturday night.

And on Tuesday, the German sportswear company unveiled the ball, which is not for sale but will be auctioned, with proceeds from the sale going to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

The agency aims to help people ‘forced to flee their homes due to conflict and persecution’.

In another reference to the ongoing war in Ukraine after Russia’s invasion of the country, the ball is inscribed with the word “peace” in both English and the letters of the Cyrillic alphabet, which is used for the Ukrainian language.

The panels of the ball are also deliberately white instead of coloured, synonymous with peace, “unity” and neutrality.

On Friday, one day before the final, Adidas organizes the ‘Grand Paris Finale 2022’, an elite grassroots football tournament involving eight local teams from the French capital, starting a ‘legacy project’ to support grassroots football in the city.

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The company also stated that it will support the local grassroots community with the refurbishment of the Zinedine Zidane pitch in Saint-Denis, Paris, the city hosting the match.

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are probably one of the favorites to take home the Champions League trophy after a fantastic season, but Carlo Ancelotti’s Los Blancos side have enjoyed a fairytale run to the final and could upset the odds once again.