Ranking the Champions League Final Match Balls over the Last Decade

With the Champions League set to resume this week, UEFA on Monday unveiled the ball that will be in play during the rest of the 2015-16 season, including the final.

The "Finale Milano" ball, produced by Adidas, is mainly white, black and gold, with a pink stripe across its circumference. To commemorate the location of the final, the ball features prominent Milan landmarks, as per UEFA.com.

Fans will get a first glimpse of the ball on Tuesday as Paris Saint-Germain play Chelsea and Benfica host Zenit St. Petersburg, and it will continue to see action through the final on May 28.

Here, Bleacher Report ranks all of the Champions League final balls from the last decade based on looks. Naturally, these rankings will be subjective, so be sure to add your thoughts to the comments below.

10. Munich 2012

ODD ANDERSEN/Getty Images

Even the best sluggers can't hit a home run every time they step to the plate. And when designing a football, even a company like Adidas can't always come up with something attractive.

Case in point: The ball for the 2012 Munich final. Sky blue and highlighter yellow have never been a pleasant combination before. So why did Adidas think it would look good here?

A big miss.

9. Berlin 2015

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

For 2015, Adidas' redesign of the Finale template reflected the vibrant German capital of Berlin. No surprise, then, that the colors were highly expressive and free-spirited.

However, while some may like the high-contrast combinations of bright red, neon yellow and electric green, it's not a mix we enjoyed. 

The approach was good, but the colors were painful on the eye.

8. Lisbon 2014

Paulo Duarte/Associated Press

The 2014 final was held in Lisbon, at Benfica's Estadio da Luz—the Stadium of Light. The match ball was appropriately bright, gleaming with gold accents on blue and white panels. For a good look at the ball, click here.

Simply put, it's hard to dislike this ball. But as we'll see, Adidas' more simple designs turned out much better.

7. London 2013

Jon Super/Associated Press

Gold is always a good bet for a high-profile, showcase event. So when Wembley hosted the 2013 Champions League final, it was nice to see a strong design on display in London.

As noted at UEFA.com, Adidas' official match ball paid tribute to the six finals played at the "Home of Football." The result was a classy design that blended dark blue and gold with intricate designs and splashes of color around the edges.

All in all, this was a brilliant design.

6: Milan 2016

Julian Finney/Getty Images

This year, the Champions League final will be played at the San Siro in Milan. As noted in the introduction, Adidas' "Finale Milano" ball will feature some of the city's iconography.

For a good look at the ball, see the images posted with Daniel Prescott's report at the Daily Mail.

There's plenty to like about the design, which has a solid combination of black and gold, with a pop of color running around the ball. The pink accents might not be everyone's favorite, but they add a bit of boldness to the look, which is an attractive one overall.

If anything, though, Adidas might have considered going a bit bolder with the design, what with Milan's association with the international fashion industry.

5. London 2011

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Wembley hosted the final in both 2011 and 2013, and although both designs were decent, we prefer the 2011 edition…slightly.

In 2011, Adidas released a ball that featured orange and red panels inset with silver-outlined lions. There was nothing at all wrong with the look; we just think it was a bit uninspired.

4. Athens 2007

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Simplicity can often be a virtue, and that's especially true when designing a football. For the 2007 final, Adidas incorporated elements of the Greek flag into the ball, giving some love to the host city of Athens.

The shiny gray background was a bit distracting, but the simple, clean, blue lines surrounding each of the stars were a nice touch. 

3. Rome 2009

JON SUPER/Associated Press

AS Roma consistently have some of the best kits in club football. Which is really no surprise. A deep, rich red looks beautiful with the club's tasteful shade of yellow. Put it together, and the Giallorossi always look sharp.

So, then, for the 2009 final in Rome, Adidas replaced the yellow with the usual gold, slapped a classy design on the ball and called it a day.

Take a closer look here and we're sure you'll agree. This is a beautiful design.

2. Moscow 2008

SALVATORE DI NOLFI/Associated Press

If you're holding a showpiece final in Russia, then naturally you'll want to use red in the design for your promotional materials. That mantra held true for the 2008 ball, which combined red very well with gold and black accents.

Simple. Sensible. Attractive. What's not to like? Here's hoping the 2018 World Cup ball will be just as nice. (The logo was unexpectedly sharp.)

If you're wondering, we placed this one ahead of the Rome ball because of their respective designs inside the stars. Though it excelled primarily because of its simplicity, this design was also a triumph because of the beautifully ornate detailing in gold.

1. Madrid 2010

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

And yet, the Moscow ball doesn't top our rankings. That honor goes to this beauty from the Madrid showpiece in 2010.

Why? Several reasons. Red and gold are a great combination, as we've repeatedly stated. The thick outlining of the stars gives the design a classic feel. Ornate detailing in between the stars offer an extra bit of class. And the designs inside the stars celebrate the 10 finals that came before.

So we have history and high design. And most importantly, a terrific design.