Adidas Tango

Historical Adidas Tango

Tango Durlast by Adidas was the official match ball of the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina.

It introduced a new design which would be used for the next twenty years: Twenty identical panels with 'triads' created the impression of 12 circles. It was the most expensive ball in history, at the time, with a $299.95 price tag.^{[citation needed]} Like its predecessors, the Adidas Tango Durlast was made of genuine leather and boasted the shiny waterproofing Durlast coating.

Tango 12

Adidas Tango 12

The ball has been remade for use in the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship under the name Adidas Tango 12. The ball was officially presented on 2 December 2011, during the group draw for the final tournament in Kiev.

Based on the classic Tango design used during both the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro tournaments during the early 1980s, the Adidas Tango 12 features a modern interpretation of the design including a colored outline inspired by the flags of the two host nations – Poland and Ukraine. Etched into the Tango design are three bespoke graphics which celebrate the decorative art of paper cutting, a tradition in the rural areas of both host countries and link to the key characteristics of football – unity, rivalry and passion.

Tango 12 is the fourth incarnation of the Tango ball. It is the 11th official Adidas Euro ball featuring a classic design with a colored outline depicting the flags of Poland and Ukraine, the two host nations.

Tango 12 uses heavily modified construction design used by criticized Adidas Jabulani (thirty-two 2D panels instead of eight 3D panels).

Other versions:

• Comoequa - 2012 Africa Cup of Nations ball,
• The Albert - 2012 Summer Olympics match ball,
• Prime - 2012 Major League Soccer match ball,
• Tango Argentina 12 - 2011–12 Argentine Primera División match ball.

Also, UEFA uses the ball in the 2011 UEFA Super Cup and the 2011-12 UEFA Europa League and is use in the 2011–12 Bundesliga, known as the "Torfabrik" ("Goal Factory"). However, those applies an older triangular grip texture, instead of newer granular surface (like the Tango 12). Also, their construction is the same as the Tango 12 but appearance is similar to the Jabulani (excluding the UEFA Super Cup ball that applies respective colours and design).

External links

• Adidas ball history
• Soccerball World: History of the World Cup's Match Balls
• The Guardian - The Joy of Six: great footballs
• The History of FIFA World Cup Match Ball

Preceded by Telstar	Official World Cup Ball 1978	Succeeded by Tango España
Preceded by Telstar	Official UEFA European Championship Ball 1980-88	Succeeded by Etrusco Unico
Preceded by Europass	Official UEFA European Championship Ball 2012	Succeeded by Incumbent