A Football Report

Andres Iniesta: “You learn fast that possesion is king. And that never changes.”

Many began their development on the streets or in a playground, a stage which would then take plenty of aspiring footballers to the next level, the 5-aside arena, where futsal is played. A style of football religiously practised throughout South America and Spain, where illustrious names such as Redondo, Ronaldinho and Iniesta mastered the art of this game that revolves around fast touches and controlling the ball in small confined areas. It became a key influence behind their technical abilities and the widely praised ‘tiki-taka’ performed by Iniesta on a weekly basis. And as he points out, possession is key.

To celebrate Iniesta’s style of play and the launch of the new mint green Elastico Finale II shoe, Nike took Iniesta back to his roots, to Fuentealbilla, his hometown and to his ground. Where a much younger talented kid mastered the game of futsal, before jumping into the Albacete youth set-up and then joining Barcelona at the age of 12.

Although the game changed from 5 men to 11 as Iniesta grew up, his style and ability hasn’t, they remain loyal to futsal, which clearly shaped him into the world class player he is today. This is my ground. [Posted by Dom]

Nike and ‘O Canarinho’: 17 years of tears and cheers 

‘Amarelinha’ - A jersey belonging to a roaring, dancing, football fevered nation. A yellow shirt worn by many of football’s greatest performers, who never fail to entertain and earned 5 engraved stars: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002.

As Neymar puts it: “To wear it [the shirt] is the greatest honor for me and my teammates.”

The Brazilian national team is a rich global reference to both modern and historic football, 11 men always playing with a smile - a team which will always viewed as a one of the best, who every year promote a selection of the world’s finest talents to ‘A Seleção’, where they wear the iconic yellow shirt on top of their chests.

Since Nike took over as shirt sponsor for Brazil in 1996, they’ve produced 11 shirts, featuring in 264 official games. Plenty of past and current players have entertained millions in the ‘Amarelinha’ and written history, from crashing out in the 1998 World Cup final and bouncing back 4 years later under the dazzling displays of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and co. The talent never runs out and it probably never will.

That yellow kit has created a unique image for Brazil, one which represents their passion for their very own ‘Joga Bonito’ style, which is now seen across the globe. And let’s not forget those adverts, ranging from waiting in an airport lounge to the ‘Ole!’ match versus Portugal and free-styling in a changing room.

Their latest jersey, which was revealed on Rio’s infamous Copacabana beach during a youth football tournament by Neymar, is a shirt reminiscing a classic look, once again carrying a Cantona collar.

The latest ‘Amarelinha’ makes it debut on Wednesday night, where we see the return of Ronaldinho. AFR will be at Wembley to watch ‘O Canarinho’ do what they do best - jogar futebol. See you there…

  [Posted by Dom]

Cristiano x You x Mercurial Vapor IX?

You’ve seen Ronaldo rocking the boot. At the end of the day tomorrow, it can be yours. It’s been far too long, but we’ve teamed up with SoccerPro and they’ve given us a pair of the new Mercurial Vapor IXs. And they are sexy. Right, how do you enter to win these? Pick one of these three options.

1. Reblog this
2. Retweet this
3. Link to this post (via Twitter or Tumblr) and tell us all about the awesome things you’ll do with the Vapors. Include the #Mercurial hashtag for kicks. 

Boom. Simple. Now, get scoring. We’re off to do the Kidiaba. Don’t let Xavi catch you blinking. [Posted by Eric. GIFs via CRS. Follow AFR.]

Getting nostalgic and embracing the present: Best of football boots

The original Vapors. The Puma King. The adi Preds. All bring back memories of fitter days and more spritely spirits. As our friend Bryan Byrne points out, “over the years, there have seen hundreds of different releases that cater to different player types, some featuring technology and others relying on comfort and basic performance.” He decided to compile a list of the top 25 boots in football history. The only things missing are my old Kelmes, so I want to open this up: what are the best boots you’ve ever owned?

Celebrating Celtic’s 125th anniversary

To commemorate the history and heritage of Celtic FC, in particular the ‘Lisbon Lions’ who won the 1967 European Cup against Inter Milan in Portugal, Nike launched a kit to honour the club’s 125th anniversary. They kept the strip simple, but the hint of boldness is inspired by Celtic’s first derby against Rangers, a match globally known as the Old Firm derby. The current manager and former player Neil Lennon explores the club’s history in a video narrated by comedian and lifelong fan Billy Connolly. [DV]

FC Barcelona’s kits for the 2012/13 season have caused quite a stir (official photos from the launch are above; home on far left, away middle, goalkeeper right) – indeed, as have many of Nike’s designs for the upcoming season. 

It’s a departure from the traditional vertical stripes which has provoked contrasting reactions from supporters, with the home kit appearing to verge on PSG territory, but what do you think of Barcelona’s new look?

Nadal vs Ronaldo!

Two of the world’s top athletes go head to head in an energetic battle of explosive speed and precision.

Nike are notorious advertisers and their latest campaign promoting the ‘Mercurial’ boots involving Rafael Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo certainly entertains fans with a vivacious tennis/football encounter. [posted by Dominic Vieira]

A World Cup Curse? Nike ‘Write the Future’ horribly wrong.

The Netherlands, the only team sponsored by Nike still in the World Cup, is not included in Nike’s incredibly over-the-top World Cup advertisement. Uruguay is sponsored by Puma, while Germany and Spain are sponsored by Adidas. Was the marketing hype too much for the men who were supposed to “write the future” in South Africa?