The Champions League is one of the greatest footballing events on the European Calendar. It sees all the top teams from the top leagues of each country come together in a tournament spread over several rounds, ultimately culminating in the cup final, which has produced some great sporting moments. In order to have great sporting moments you need great teams, great players, and great equipment. The ball is perhaps the most significant piece of equipment, and it has to be of the highest quality to ensure it can be struck with accuracy and travel at high speeds. The difficulty in this is making the ball perform well, but not make it too easy, and hence too difficult for the professional keepers to save and handle.

The ball comes in either size 4 or 5 and is an authentic, accurate replica of the original 2010 Champions League final ball. The exterior surface has interlinking blue stars with a white background, and the ADIDAS logo imprinted with relevant small print included. Its finish is shiny and slippery to touch - and when wet this slipperiness increases substantially. After lots of use the surface starts to splinter and the logo and shapes break up. Eventually a hole will appear but only after lots and lots of play and the help of a thistle or the like. I'm only saying this because this is what happened to my ball - but I don't take anything away from the quality of the thing, and the way it is so accurately constructed.

Flexibility is key: If the ball is too lightly strung it will rupture on heavy contact, and if it is too tightly strung it will be painful to kick and not rise or glide in the way a ball should. Years of technological advancement have gone into the development of this balance. I believe the CL ball of 2010 has it almost perfect. The fabric of the ball gives it a soft, durable external feel, enabling it to be pumped well.
If you don't pump the ball to the right level it won't perform as well as one of the original CL balls. A tiny hole in the surface allows you to implant a needle pump and inflate the ball using hand-power - I don't recommend using a powered pump as these can over stress the ball to destruction if you're not careful. Once the surface of the ball feels firm and you find it relatively hard to pump, stop. The ball is ready. Giving it a kick about will enable you to determine its readiness - if it seems dull or hard then adjust accordingly.

I like this ball, I think it is well constructed. But like so many balls it isn't built to last - unfortunately the surface will begin to look warn and untidy (far different from its factory self). The finish at first is great and the ball is easy to pump - but good things never seem to last. All in all I'd give this ball a 3 / 5.