The message is in Cyrillic and English and the ball will be auctioned off for UNHCR.
MADRID, 24 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The official ball for the Champions League final, which Real Madrid and Liverpool will play on May 28 at the Parc des Princes in Paris (France), aims to send a message of peace to the world and, in addition, help with the benefits of its auction to UNHCR, UN agency to help refugees from war conflicts.
“adidas reveals the official match ball for the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final in Paris on May 28. Using one of sport’s biggest stages as an opportunity to unite the world in a global message of peace, both in Cyrillic (Ukrainian and Russian) as in English.
The final ball will not be for sale but will be auctioned off after the match with the proceeds going to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to help protect people forced to flee their homes due to the conflict and persecution.
Screen printed in bold letters as a statement from UEFA, the word ‘pazo’ will be in Cyrillic script above the English version ‘PEACE’. “A design to carry a simple message of peace, belonging and hope that will be transmitted from player to player with each touch of the ball and beyond the Stade de France to the farthest corners of the world,” says Adidas.
The ball’s design is noticeably devoid of color, with pure white panels to “symbolize truce and unity”. The German firm, one day before the final, organizes the Paris 2022 Grand Final, a special event that offers a unique experience.
The event will take place at the Zinedine Zidane Playground in Saint-Denis, where adidas has created a unique setup and field. Here, a grassroots soccer tournament will be held with eight local teams from Greater Paris, each representing a neighborhood of the city.
This will kick off a project designed to support the city’s grassroots football communities by providing a home and a place to play, improving visibility and access to the game at all levels.
In addition to the refurbishment of the Zinedine Zidane playground, adidas announces its support for the Saint-Denis Sport Academy and its founder, Yssa Dembélé, to whom adidas will hand over the space after its renovation as part of the grassroots support initiative.