“Soccer fans know that each national league has something unique and exciting to offer, and AC Milan undoubtedly delivers the best of Italian club fútbol,” said Rodrigo Lombello, COO of GolTV. “As the sport continues to grow in popularity in the U.S., GolTV remains the go-to network for the soccer viewer with the widest range of league programming and most up-to-the-minute soccer news coverage.”

GolTV will take viewers further into the action with more AC Milan programming every Thursday evening beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET. First, the half-hour show AC Milan Classics will bring viewers up to speed on the past week in AC Milan match play. Then GolTV will deliver the in-depth magazine show, AC Milan Weekly, at 6:30 p.m. ET featuring 30 minutes of news and updates on Italian Serie A soccer.

“GolTV is a fantastic partner capable of enhancing the visibility of AC Milan, the most successful club in the world,” said Carlo Pozzali, CEO of MP & Silva America. “Soccer is developing dramatically in U.S. and through additional exposure on GolTV we’ll offer all fans a comprehensive, unmatched range of programming.”

This coverage of the best of the Italian Serie A league joins the ranks of GolTV’s premium line-up, which includes over 250 matches from action-packed tournaments and top international soccer leagues such as Germany’s Bundesliga, Spain’s La Liga and Brazil’s Campeonato Brasileiro and Campeonato Paulista in high definition and premium sound.

More information and current programming schedules are available online at www.goltv.tv.

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About GolTV

GolTV delivers live and prime time coverage of the world’s highest level of professional soccer. Founded in 2003 and led by Chief Executive Officer and former international fútbol superstar, Enzo Francescoli, GolTV is the country’s only independently-owned bilingual soccer network and the first channel conceived and operated by professional athletes. GolTV is the original all-soccer channel with unsurpassed exclusive TV rights, featuring over 6,000 hours of pure soccer action and a diverse mix of soccer programming, including the country’s only weeknight soccer news program, GolTV News. GolTV is one of the country’s most popular networks among Hispanic viewers as well as marketers targeting all U.S. soccer fans. The company recently launched GolTV Móvil, offering mobile phone subscribers exclusive news, updates, scores and video of their favorite teams, leagues and tournaments on the go. For more information, visit www.goltv.tv.

UEFA president Michel Platini said Tuesday that soccer promotes “peace, tolerance and friendship.” He spoke during a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres, an avid sports fan and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994.

Platini recalled a 2006 meeting with Peres in Seville, Spain, where the two men helped put together a team of Israeli and Palestinian players for an exhibition against a Spanish squad. On Tuesday, they discussed how soccer can bridge communities around the world.
Platini also said Israel could host a European-level soccer tournament in the near future. The former France captain said the main obstacles were the quality of local stadiums and security concerns.

“If there will be better stadiums, you will definitely be able to host tournaments in the next few years,” Platini said at a news conference with Israel Football Association chairman Avi Luzon.

Israel has been a UEFA member since 1994 and has hosted a European tournament once — the UEFA under-17 championships in 2000. Israeli teams have begun to advance in European club competitions in recent years, with Maccabi Haifa making its second appearance in the Champions League this season.

Source: Release

This summer, adidas and UEFA extended and expanded their long-term partnership.  The new deal includes the Champions League, Super Cup and the newly created Europa League. For the first time, adidas will support all official UEFA club football competitions, further consolidating the brand’s position and keeping them at the top of the soccer food chain.

One of adidas’ first announcements under the extension is the introduction of the Champions League Finale 9 match ball and the Europa League match ball. [Look for a review on ASER soon].  The official press release is below the images.

adidas and UEFA unveiled the Super Cup match ball that was used in the FC Barcelona vs. FC Shakhtar Donetsk match in Monaco.

Champions League Finale 9 Match Ball

•  Design is based on the widely recognized, eye-catching starball logo of the UEFA Champions League (UCL)
• All UCL games will be played with the new adidas Finale 9 (a ball for the May 22 Champions League Final in Madrid will be introduced early next year)
• The adidas Finale 9 is available now

UEFA Europa League Match Ball

Design is based on the official logo of the new competition

• All games of the UEFA Europa League – including the Final in Hamburg on May 12, 2010 – will be played with the new ball
• The UEFA Europa League ball is available at retail worldwide now

TECHNOLOGY

•  Both balls feature the new surface structure PSC-Texture that allows players to control and direct the ball perfectly in all weather conditions in addition to guaranteeing optimum grip between ball and boot.
• NOTE: ASER Reviewed the first generation of this technology and found it to be a vast improvement in texture and durability over the world cup ball.  You can see the review here.

Press Release:

As part of its partnership with UEFA, adidas today introduces the official match ball for tonight’s Super Cup in Monaco between FC Barcelona and Shakhtar Donetsk – photos attached. The futuristic ball features the new surface structure PSC-Texture that allows players to control and direct the ball perfectly in all weather conditions, guaranteeing optimum grip between ball and boot.

In addition to the Super Cup match ball, adidas and FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi have designed a special F50i Argentina colorway boot for today’s match. As a tribute to Messi’s home country, the F50i features colors of the Argentinean national flag (gold, white and sky blue) together with the flag’s sun emblem.

Messi will wear the new boot for the first time today in the UEFA Super Cup and then again on September 5 when Argentina faces Brazil in Messi’s hometown of Rosario. Only three adidas soccer players – David Beckham, Franz Beckenbauer and Uwe Seeler – have received a personal football boot; Messi is the fourth. The new F50i Messi football boot will soon be available at specialist stores worldwide and at Eurosport.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL EXCLUSIVE

ZIDANE: EVERY TEAM NEEDS TO PLAY AS ONE

As the Champions League Final quickly approaches, adidas continues to give fans fresh and exciting content to celebrate the beautiful game and the importance of team. And, who better to chime in on the conversation than the legendary Zinedine Zidane.

Starting this week, the iconic midfielder will be featured in a series of private interviews where he shares his first-hand experience, passions and beliefs about success on the field. Zidane’s first entry focuses on the essential team-based philosophy: Every team needs to play as one.

Watch Zidane credit his career successes, including the 2002 UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid, to his collective team at: http://www.adidas.com/etn?CMP=OTC-PY5567094982&site=10000&link=01010daaaa0905

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL EXCLUSIVE – PART II:

adidas Unveils Sneak Peak at New Boot for Messi

Six days to the UEFA Champions League Final and adidas is giving fans an advanced look at the newest generation of TUNIT boot technology called the F50i which Messi will debut on Wednesday in Rome.

Check out “The Spark” teaser clip of Messi in his new boots first here.  Guest starring Zidane*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edtgiFBkRnI

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL EXCLUSIVE – PART III:

NEW VIDEO WITH ZIDANE: THE JOURNEY BEGINS

The Champions League Final is almost upon us and Zidane is back.

His mission? To create the ultimate team.

Messi is locked in.

Now let the journey begin…….

Check out the “Every Team Needs a Beginning” teaser video at: http://www.youtube.com/profile?v=WZkKripnSw0&user=adidasfootballtv

Today, adidas unveiled the Official Match Ball for the UEFA Champions League Final in Rome on May 27th: the adidas “Finale Rome”. The Italian capital is hosting its
second UEFA Champions League Final (following 1996). Europe’s top two football clubs in the 2008/2009 season will compete in the Final in Stadio Olimpico di
Roma, Italy’s biggest sports arena.

The design of the adidas “Finale Rome” is based on the widely recognizable UEFA Champions League star ball. The colors of the new match ball are inspired by the
traditional Roman colour burgundy with gold detailing around the stars. Mosaic figures representing key sporting and Roman values such as speed, teamwork, justice and power are featured in each star honoring the most important European club game.

Like the “EUROPASS”, the match ball for the UEFA EURO 2008™, the adidas “Finale Rome” features the innovative surface structure, PSC-Texture™. This surface structure allows players to control and direct the ball perfectly in all weather conditions. The PSC- Texture™ consists of a sophisticated and extremely fine structure on the ball’s outer skin that guarantees optimum grip between ball and boot. Due to the usage of this material, the ball texture feels like goose bumps. In addition, like the “EUROPASS”, the adidas “Finale Rome” is constructed out of 14 panels using revolutionary Thermal Bonding Technology.

The adidas “Finale Rome” is currently available at retail worldwide. adidas’ experience in football production is unsurpassed anywhere in the world.  adidas has been making footballs since 1963 and is now the world’s leading manufacturer, always at the cutting edge of technology. adidas has supplied the official match balls to all major UEFA and FIFA tournaments since 1970, and since 2008 is also the Official Supplier of the match ball for the Africa Cup of Nations organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

adidas will continue to use innovative technology to extend its leading position in football worldwide. This will further strengthen adidas’ position as the authentic symbol of high-performance sports equipment for professionals and amateurs alike. adidas also intends to unveil more revolutionary ball innovations for future UEFA, FIFA and CAF competitions.

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