German sportswear and equipment company Adidas has been named as the official ball supplier of the Austrian Bundesliga, the top tier of club football in the country.
The deal is effective from the 2018-19 season and also covers the second-tier 2.Liga. The three-year contract will run until the end of the 2020-21 campaign.
The move marks a change in strategy for the Bundesliga, which currently uses balls from a number of different manufacturers but will now use one ball design across all games.
The Bundesliga said that Adidas was picked following a comprehensive review of the offers made by various companies. The league considered the quality, image and marketing potential of potential partners before selecting Adidas.
Bundesliga board member Christian Ebenbauer said: “The introduction of the league ball from the season 2018-19 represents a significant step forward in terms of sporting fairness and quality.”
Adidas also supplies balls for the Uefa Champions League and Europa League club competitions, as well as the Fifa World Cup and Uefa European Championships national team tournaments.