Dubai, 23 July 2006 - adidas, the world's number one football brand, and double Premiership champions Chelsea Football Club, has unveiled its' new kit for the 2006/2007 season.

adidas has signed a deal to be the new official sponsor and sportswear supplier for Chelsea FC for the next eight years. This sponsorship agreement takes effect from July 2006 and the association sees adidas and Chelsea join forces for the first time.

The new adidas home kit will make its debut when Chelsea play their first pre-season match against the Major League Soccer All-Stars team in Chicago, USA on August 5.

This new partnership is a natural affiliation between the world's number one football brand and one of Europe's leading clubs. The new Chelsea team shirt is the most stylish and technically innovative to date, with the traditional home kit in the synonymous Chelsea blue. The official away and UEFA Champions League kits will be revealed in due course.

As always for adidas, technology is at the forefront of the kit design.  The shirt incorporates the world-renowned ClimaCool and FlowMapping technologies which allow heat and sweat to escape while bringing cooling air into contact with the skin. 

The shirt also features ForMotion technology - a highlight of adidas top performance apparel.  The shirt was designed 3-dimensionally and engineered to fit a footballer's body in motion and the seams are sewn flat to reduce irritation.

In addition to the technology, the renowned adidas style and detail is evident on each kit. The Chelsea crest is a woven badge with embroidered keyline, accompanied by the adidas three stripes down the sleeve. The shirt also features a new crew neck which is inscribed with 'Chelsea Football Club', and an embossed Chelsea Lion symbol on the back.

Frank Lampard, Chelsea and England midfielder, said: "The technology and style of the shirt is typical of the modern game and will help our performance. The design and attention to detail on the shirt is second to none and it is great to see Chelsea be associated with the number one football brand"

Peter Kenyon, Chief Executive of Chelsea Football Club said: "This partnership is great news for Chelsea and we look forward to working with adidas, whose vision we share.  We believe a global partnership with adidas will be a huge step in helping the club achieve its long term goals. Together we can become a formidable team".

Gil Steyaert, Managing Director, adidas Area North said: "adidas has a long tradition of working with top football clubs around the globe, and Chelsea certainly fit into that category.  Chelsea, under the guidance of Jose Mourinho, are the current Premiership champions and adidas are proud to be associated with them. We look forward to many years of success".

-Ends- 

Notes to editors:

  • The new Chelsea FC adidas kit goes on sale in the UAE on the 27th July.

  • Chelsea's World Cup stars including England's Frank Lampard, John Terry and Joe Cole, as well as Germany captain Michael Ballack and Ukraine's Andriy Shevchenko are all likely to feature in the game against the Major League Soccer All-Stars.

Technical details

The new shirt incorporates the following adidas technologies:

  • ForMotion technology - unlike traditional shirts that are cut on a flat surface, the new Chelsea shirt has been designed 3-dimensionally. This means that the various elements of the kit are pre-shaped to fit the athlete's body. Its sport-specific fabrics also feature extreme stretch zones that allow the garment to move naturally with the body even during the most strenuous of athletic activities.

  • ClimaCool - engineered mesh that allows heat and sweat to escape while bringing cooling air into contact with the skin.  All seams are sewn flat to reduce irritation while running and engineered fabric offers open mesh in critical heat zones.

  • FlowMapping technology - air inlets are placed in high-velocity areas to channel peak airflow into the garment to provide maximum cooling.  A large mesh insert at the back then lets the air escape, pulling heat and sweat along with it.

For further news and information, please visit the adidas press website at www.press.adidas.com, or contact:
Ellen Peacock
Regional Communications Manager
Tel: +971-4-227 3303
Fax: +971-4-222 6675
Email: ellen.peacock@adidas.ae

Susan Parry / Anoushka Misra                                                               
ASDA'A Public Relations
Tel: +971-4-3344550
Fax: +971-4-3344556 
Email: s.parry@asdaa.com / a.misra@asdaa.com

© Press Release 2006