The official match ball for soccer tournaments in the one constant in every match. adidas hyped the Euro 2016 match ball, the Beau Jeu, during the reveal last November but like many players, managers, and referees some can’t take the pressure of the big stage.
During the final Group A match between France and Switzerland at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, one of the adidas Beau Jeu match ball was punctured in a challenge between Switzerland’s Valon Behrami and French forward Antoine Griezmann in the second half. The deflated ball was replaced and the teams played out a 0-0 draw which saw both advance to the group stage.
Adidas representatives were unsure of what caused the puncture for a ball that has meet overwhelmingly positive feedback from field players and goalkeepers. An adidas spokesperson told CNN that the company is ‘looking into what happened and how this could have occurred. It should be pointed out that incidents of this nature are extremely rare.’
The Beau Jeu match ball colorway will be replaced by a new colorway, called the Fracas, for the knock-out rounds.
The France vs Switzerland match was a hard day for equipment. Switzerland’s home jerseys by Puma had multiple jerseys ripped and Nike had to make alterations to their official France 2016 Away Jersey for it to comply with UEFA jersey regulations.
The adidas Beau Jeu and Fracas are available at World Soccer Shop.
