Colourful Euro 2024 ball to reflect energy of tournament, say organisers

BERLIN : Organisers of Euro 2024 on Wednesday unveiled the official ball for the continental tournament next year, with its colourful pattern designed to reflect the energy of the event and with built-in technology to assist in VAR decisions.

Tournament director Philipp Lahm, along with others including Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, led the reveal of the Adidas-made "Fussballliebe" (love of football) on the Maifeld, next to Berlin's Olympic stadium, where the final will be played on July 14.

The tournament will start on June 14 and will be held across ten cities in Germany.

Organisers said the design, featuring black wing shapes with colourful edges, curves and dots, was a reflection of the tournament's energy.

Germany is hosting its first major international football tournament since the 2006 World Cup, which at the time had triggered an unprecedented wave of enthusiasm with large fan zones across the country and the event dubbed the "summer fairytale".

Illustrations of each of the stadiums appear on the ball alongside the name of each host city.

The ball also features some built-in technology to track all elements of its the movement and help with VAR decisions.