FC247 ISSUE
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CONTENTS Introducing Nike LVL UP
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The Nike Football FC247 Collection
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- Nike Bomba Finale II
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- Nike Elastico Finale II
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- Nike Lunar Gato II
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Sahar El Guindy interview
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Tommy Wingrove interview
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INTRODUCING:
NIKE LVL UP bringing the small-side tournament to the big city.
The summer heat is upon us, and kids are stuck inside when they should be out kicking a ball around. But the small-side games don’t have to go on pause for the summer. Nike recently held a 3 level small-side tournament at Media One Tower, where talented young footballers battled it out on three different turfs. Nike LVL UP encourages aspiring athletes to “own the game anytime, anywhere”. Even in a big building in the bustling Dubai Media City. Sprawled across three levels of Media One Tower, this was the ultimate small-side tournament. Eight final teams made it to Nike LVL UP after qualification rounds which took place at the Ahdaaf Sports Club on 25 May. These eight teams then had to battle it out to reach the top level, and win the title. The competition revolves around the small-side game - which many pro footballers attribute for teaching them important skills they still use to this day. Another important aspect of this tournament is the teams’ abilities to excel on three surfaces: Court, Turf, and Street. The concept for LVL UP was inspired by the new Nike Football FC247
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collection. The range consists of three performance footwear customised for various playing surfaces: the Nike Bomba Finale II, Nike Elastico Finale II, and the Nike Lunar Gato II. The LVL UP tournament welcomed determined and ambitious teams. The players gave their all on each level. It started on Level 40 with the court, where the teams were brought down to four. Level 41, the turf, sent two teams up to Level 42 where the finalists Ahdaaf Sports Club and Bayern Neverlosin battled it out on the street surface. After a great game, team Ahdaaf Sports Club won the tournament. Captain Taha Hussain and his teammates Mohammed Salim, Obaid Salim, and Zayed Mohammed will continue their journey as they travel to Turkey to meet Galatasaray FC the 19-time Turkish Super League Champions. The athleticism and determination of all the teams will set them apart as they continue to work hard at their sport. And it might not be too long before we see them take home heaps of awards in the years to come!
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Check out the Nike Football ME facebook page for more information on Nike LVL UP, as well as upcoming events: www.facebook.com/NikeFootballME.
THE NIKE FOOTBALL
COLLECTION
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NIKE BOMBA FINALE II Surface: Turf Colourway: Orange and black Special features: Conical studs for quick rotation, which aids rapid turns made in small-side games. Oblong studs provide excellent traction and stability on turf.
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NIKE ELASTICO FINALE II Surface: Hard-court Colourway: Green Special features: Flexible outsole, herringbone and dot design to maximize traction and improve underfoot ball control.
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NIKE LUNAR GATO II Surface: All-surface Colourway: Blue and yellow Special features: Fused mesh panels lock down the mid-foot to maximize lateral support, and give a fine balance of lightweight and comfort.
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For more information on the FC247 Collection, visit: http://nikeinc.com/news/nike-football-fc247
LVL UP We chat with Sahar El Guindy, Marketing Manager at Nike ME to find out more about LVL UP and the new Nike Football FC247 collection. Tell us all about LVL UP - what is the concept behind the event? LVL UP is a football 3 a side tournament, allowing Football obsessed teens to show their skills and mastery over 3 different surfaces, court, turf and street. The tournament is organized over 3 consecutive floors, the 40th, 41st and 42nd at the Media One hotel. The winning team must win over all 3 surfaces in order to own the tower. How do kids benefit from playing five-a-side? Small sided football is a format which enhances the players’ skills in small spaces, when the game is at it’s toughest. All the major football athletes like to practice small sided football in order to increase their levels of skill at football. How do these football sneakers compare to previous Nike Football collections? “Football is the biggest sport on the planet. It’s enjoyed at almost any time and in any place, and in today’s world that accessibility is vital. As the
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global population increases, spaces to play 11-a-side are more difficult to come by. We’ve seen a huge increase in players playing more small-sided games, because it’s that much easier to access.” — Phil McCartney, Nike Football, VP of Football Footwear “When we go out and talk to athletes playing the game, we find it’s not just the traditional five-a-side that we see being played en masse in the U.K., but also futsal or indoor matches and street football,” McCartney continues. “It’s up to us as Nike to serve those players with the right product for these different surfaces.” These insights guided Nike to create FC247, a new range of football performance and street footwear geared for the variety of surfaces on which the game is played, each with design innovations specific to respective playing style. It was during athlete feedback sessions that some of the world’s best players helped guide McCartney’s team. “Playing five-a-side as a kid was a massive part of my development. It improved my control, speed, awareness and vision so much. We still play versions of it in training.“ — Wayne Rooney “If I had more free time, I would like
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to train more with my colleagues on the futsal team. Futsal helps my ball control in tighter spaces,” added Andres Iniesta. “For Brasilians, the street is where you learn to play football. You can see it in the way we move, our first touch, our ability to control and move the ball at speed,” said Neymar. “This type of athlete feedback was vital in the design process. Fasttempo matches with limited space demand instinctive touch and control with split-second decision-making – skills that translate to the elite level of the sport. Those feedback sessions had a huge impact on the products we created,” added McCartney.
performance mesh, resulting in shoes that are lighter and thinner than their predecessors. Both have a closer, stitch-free fit, and the mesh geometry combines with a seamless vamp to aid closer ball control. In addition, the Nike Bomba Finale II features Nike’s All Conditions Control (ACC) technology for consistent ball control in dry and wet conditions.
What are the differences between the three?
A dynamic green design marks out the Elastico Finale II, which features 39 percent fewer components and is 22 percent lighter than the previous shoe. The more flexible outsole, designed for hard-court surfaces, features a herringbone and dot design to help maximize traction and improve underfoot ball control. The Elastico Finale II also features a breathable perforated upper and heel, and a redesigned eyestay to optimize comfort and feel.
The Bomba Finale II, in a striking orange and black colorway, boasts 27 percent fewer components than its predecessor, creating a softer and more flexible shoe that is also 10 percent lighter than the previous version. Conical studs for quick rotation help aid the rapid turns made in small-sided games while oblong studs help provide excellent traction and stability on the turf. The Bomba Finale II along with the Elastico Finale II are both equipped with new ‘NIKESKIN’ technology, a polyurethane skin layered over
The Lunar Gato II, launching in a distinctive blue and yellow, is designed for a fast and dynamic game on all surfaces. Featuring 33 percent fewer components than its predecessor, it is also 16 percent lighter. The supple leather used on the upper improves the ball-to-foot feel. The soft leather eliminates a break-in period and the contoured sock liner supplies an anatomical fit. Fused mesh panels lock down the mid-foot to maximize lateral support and gives the Lunar Gato II a fine balance of lightweight and comfort.
Tommy Wingrove, LVL UP Coach Director, gives us some insight into the LVL UP tournament, the importance of athleticism, as well as how footgear can be a footballer’s best tool. What was the most rewarding aspect for you of LVL UP and the events leading up to it? I always find it really rewarding having the opportunity to engage and interact with the FOT’s in the region. It’s great to see familiar faces from past Nike events but also new players who are keen to impress. There is obviously a vibrant football culture in the UAE and having the opportunity to work with young players with so much enthusiasm for the game is always rewarding as a coach. It is fantastic that Nike have committed to providing the football community with so many great opportunities. Why is it important for kids and adults alike to take part in events like this, and other fitness and sport activities? There are the obvious health benefits of participating in physical exercise but also just as importantly is the social element. In whichever part of the world it is played, football becomes a common language with a shared goal. Having the opportunity as a young player to compete with and against like-minded people from different countries and cultures is an enriching experience. There are always countless nationalities represented at these events but everyone shares the same enthusiasm for the game, which is great to see. What are some of the lessons participants can take away from this experience? From a technical viewpoint, the 3v3 format of the LVLUP DXB competition forces players to play at a high tempo with a lot of emphasis on individual skill and creativity. The teams that will be most successful are those that are able to adapt quickly to the different environments and the specific challenges they provide. Small sided- games can also help improve the speed, control and agility of players. The lessons learned from being involved in competitive tournaments
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are also valuable. It has been very pleasing to see the games played in the right way with high levels of sportsmanship on display. Have you tried out the new Nike Football FC247 collection? Which sneaker is your favourite? I have been lucky enough to try the new FC247 collection and am always impressed by the levels of research and technology invested in Nike Football products. Each shoe is completely different to enable it to meet the demands of the surface for which it is designed. If I had to choose I think my favourite would be the Elastico Finale. The colour is eye-catching to say the least but the new Nike Skin technology is really impressive. How can players benefit from the Nike Football FC247 collection? Each shoe has been specifically designed to meet the demands of a specific surface. This ensures the players have optimum traction and control, which will greatly improve their football performance. Nike Bomba Finale II, Nike Elastico Finale II and Nike Lunar Gato II deliver design innovation that allow players to amplify their skills on specific surfaces. Each shoe is created to provide a balance of speed, control, comfort and precision based on varying court surfaces. How important is the footwear to the game? How much can these shoe enhance a player’s performance? Footwear for football continues to develop at a remarkable rate. The level of technology now going into the design of football specific footwear is amazing. Football boots are probably the players most valuable tool so it is vital they are able to provide the right levels of comfort and performance. Good shoes provide correct levels of support and traction. The materials from which the shoes are constructed also affect the players touch and feel for the ball when in possession. The more a player can stay ‘connected’ with the ball the better his or her performance will be. The Nike Football FC247 shoes and their individual design innovations can only enhance a players performance in smallsided game situations on whichever surface they find themselves.