"Sporting goods giant adidas took advantage of the media gathering in Busan, on Korea's south coast, ahead of Saturday's 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™ draw, to launch the official ball of the tournament - the Fevernova™.
The Fevernova is considered to be the most accurate ball ever produced thanks to extensive tests carried out in adidas' laboratory in Scheinfeld, Germany. The days of pig's bladder or knotted leather are long gone - the new ball comprises a three-level knitted chassis to provide a truer and more predictable flight, whilst the syntactic foam layer, filled with extremely durable gas-filled micro-balloons, allows for advanced control and accuracy.
adidas, who have been an Official Partner of the FIFA World Cup™ since USA 94 and ball supplier to the tournament since Mexico 70, have spent over four years defining the concept of the Fevernova, and some 2,500 of them will be used during the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan. "At least eight balls will be available per match," explained Herbert Hainer, CEO of adidas-Salomon AG in an interview with FIFAworldcup.com. "In France, four brand new balls were available per match as well as four that had been used in one previous game. The ball is however so resistant that it makes no difference whether it is new or has already been used."
England captain David Beckham, an adidas ambassador, welcomed the concept of the Fevernova. "An accurate ball is very important for my game," explained the dead-ball specialist. "Especially with free kicks, I have to be able to trust the ball to go exactly where I want it to go. The Fevernova has proven to be highly accurate in the laboratory. Now it´s up to the players to show their accuracy on the field."
