The way of Champions League it's getting closer: tonight sees the first leg of the playoffs, the final obstacle for several teams dreaming of a place in the main draw of Europe's top competition.
Which starts with the group stage in September, with the draw scheduled for next Thursday, August 31.
Tonight Antwerp will face AEK Athens, then Rangers will face PSV Eindhoven and Rakow Czesochowa will face Copenhagen. Tomorrow it will be the turn of Molde-Galatasaray, Braga-Panathinaikos and Maccabi Haifa-Young Boys. The return matches are scheduled in seven days.
Adidas has meanwhile revealed the official UEFA balls Champions League 2023/24 and the Uefa Women's Champions League. This year's special feature is the design that pays homage to the symphony that precedes all the matches of this fascinating competition.
Set against a metallic silver background, the men's version of the Official Match Ball integrates a single letter of the instantly recognisable chant lyrics – “THE CHAMPIONS” – on each of the 12 stars, in a rich calligraphic style.
Visual representations of the song's musical tones intersect with the stars, in striking purple, red and blue – colours specifically chosen to represent the football royalty competing for the coveted trophy. Uefa Champions League.
The introduction of a bespoke anthem for the UEFA Women's Champions League in the 2021/22 season marked the start of a new dawn for the tournament.
In honor of that moment, the new design incorporates the song’s lyrics into two of the balloon’s eye-catching star panels, creating a single circular text motif in bright orange. The other ten stars feature a wavy purple and pink print, featuring the same words from the anthem, but significantly enlarged to create an eye-catching, abstract look.
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