No more stars: Champions League ball to be redesigned after Nike wins rights

• Iconic star ball design has been in place since 2001

• Nike to pay $45m a year to supply Uefa club competitions

The iconic Champions League ball will be redesigned next year after Nike entered exclusive talks with Uefa to become the official match ball provider for the 2027 to 2031 cycle of the competition.

The US sportswear group has beaten off competition from incumbent supplier Adidas and fellow challenger Puma after offering to double Uefa’s current fee to around $45m per year.