The new Adidas football designed for the knock-out round of the Uefa Champions League made its first appearance during matches on Feb. 17. The design is called “Finale Berlin” in reference to where the CL finals will be held in the German capital's Olympic stadium on June 6. It also is a colorful reminder of the hip and cool image of a city crowded with artists. Berlin is a surprising choice for the final as, despite its huge stadium, it is not recognized as a football city having only one club, Hertha, which is struggling to remain in the Bundesliga. In Germany, it is seen as rather an insulting choice over cities with strong football connections and modern stadiums such as Dortmund and Schalke, and even Munich, which hosted the finals only three years ago. There are also great centers of football in other countries.

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