A new ball will be used in the semi-finals and final of Euro 2024, and fans have realised why.
After three weeks of drama, entertainment and goals, Euro 2024 is nearing its conclusion.
24 teams have now been whittled down to just four, and they’ll go head-to-head in the semi-finals for a place in the final.
On Tuesday Spain and France will meet in Munich, before England and the Netherlands clash in Dortmund the following evening.
England booked their place in the final four with a penalty shootout victory against Switzerland, before the Netherlands came from behind to beat Turkey 2-1 in Berlin.
France and Portugal played out a dull goalless draw in their quarter-final tie, with the 2022 World Cup finalists prevailing on penalties.
Spain knocked out tournament hosts Germany in the quarter-finals, with Mikel Merino breaking German hearts with a 119th-minute winner.
Yet despite the host nation no longer being in the competition, they will still be represented in the semi-finals and final.
That’s because Adidas and UEFA have unveiled the new ball that will be used in the final three matches of the tournament.
The FUSSBALLLIEBE FINALE ball is a refreshed version of the ball that was used earlier in the tournament, with black wing shapes plus red and gold curves and dots representing the colours of Germany.
However, for the final stages of Euro 2024 the white base of the ball has been replaced with eye-catching silver, representing the silverware that the final four teams are fighting for.
Adidas say that the silver colour has been specially developed and tested with athletes to ensure that it stands out on the pitch without reflecting light back off the surface.
For the first time in Euros history, the ball used in the semi-finals and final will feature Connected Ball technology that delivers precise ball data to video match officials in real time.
Player position data and AI contributes to UEFA’s semi-automated offside technology.
The technology also offers accurate measurement of in-play data to fans, including the ball speed, spin and distance the ball travelled before hitting the back of the net.
The new ball can be purchased for £150.
SPORTbible are on WhatsApp! We’ve launched a dedicated transfer news channel to send you the latest deals, rumours and more directly on WhatsApp and all you need to do to sign up is click through to our one-way broadcast channel here for ‘SPORTbible News’ to appear in the ‘Updates’ tab on your WhatsApp.
