Puma has released details of the new Limited Edition King XL Italia which has been designed to coincide with the start of the Confederations Cup which is now just over a week away.

The new football boot is part of a whole new range from the German manufacturer which includes a new Italian playing kit for the competition, goalkeeper gloves and a Limited Edition Puma King Itlalia football.

The collection coincides with the 80th anniversary of Vittorio Pozzo’s appointment as Italy’s first full-time national coach – the only coach to have won two World Cup titles.

Puma King XL Italia Football Boots

It’s true to say that having graced the game for over 40 years, the Puma King is one of the most successful boots of all time. There may be flashier, prettier and more colourful boots out there in the market place, but for heritage and sheer classic styling, the Puma King is pretty tough to beat.

With such a history, the new boot is something of a hybrid, taking the best elements from it’s many guises across the years.

The lateral stability inserts, the toe overlay, and the bead line between the upper and outsole are inspired by the original King.

The King’s round studs refer back to the traditional football boots, and provide exceptional stability and manoeuvrability.

Modernized elements include the King’s soft full-grain leather upper, which provides an unparalleled experience in terms of comfort and control. The modern high-density silicon external heel counter provides protection and enhances stability, while the shaped structural lines on the side underline the technology.

The Puma AptoLast conforms to the foot’s natural contours, and offers a snug fit whilst all of these elements are complemented by the golden FOT on the heel. Puma’s homage is underlined by the Italian flag on the sockliner and lace tips, along with the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (Italian Football Association) logo on the sockliner.

The King XL Italia logo on the tongue adds the final touch to this elegant performance boot.

Price: £120

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Guus Hiddink led Chelsea to their first trophy for two years as his side hit back from a goal down to beat Everton in the FA Cup final 2 – 1.

The victory brought to an end the Dutchman’s brief role with the club which began with an FA Cup game against Watford at Vicarage Road in February, coincidentally, also a match in which they fell behind. Hiddink now leaves Chelsea to return to his full time job of managing Russia.

Lampard celebrates after scoring the winner

To start with, it looked like his day would not be turning out the way he wanted. Just 25 seconds had elapsed when Steven Pienaar’s cross was only half-cleared by Jon Mikel Obi and Marouane Fellaini headed down for Louis Saha to smash the ball past Petr Cech. It was the fastest goal in FA Cup final history and it clearly rattled the pre-game favourites.

But as Chelsea got in to their stride, the game changed. Florent Malouda, perhaps the most improved player under Hiddink, enjoyed repeated success down the left and began to give Tony Hibbert a somewhat torrid afternoon. Given acres of space it was Malouda who, on 21 minutes, found himself completely unmarked from Frank Lampard’s pass and crossed for Didier Drogba to head home the equaliser.

Having had a hand in Chelsea’s opener, Lampard won it for the London club with 18 minutes remaining.

Wearing his trademark adidas adiPure II’s, the England midfielder collected Michael Ballack’s pass, turned inside Phil Neville, and, despite losing his footing, let fly with a tremendous strike that was still rising as it flew into the top corner. To celebrate, Lampard re-created the goal celebration round the corner flag made famous by his father Frank Snr when West Ham beat Everton in a cup match almost 30 years ago.

It could have been even more comfortable for Chelsea – Malouda should have done better when released by Lampard and then the Frenchman ’s long range effort hit the bar and bounced over the line but it wasn’t given by the officials.

But it mattered not to award-winner Lampard nor to Hiddink who couldn’t contain his joy at the end saying:

It was one of the biggest achievements of my career, winning in the Mecca of world football.

The FA Cup is something you truly cannot believe.

We had some wonderful performances in the Premier League and also in the Champions League and this is the highlight, to win the FA Cup.

I loved it so much, I enjoyed working with big stars but they knew what it’s all about. They showed in the Premier League and Champions League and here, a lot of character.

We have worked so hard since February and I respect these guys very much.

In addition to the brand new King XL Italia football boots, Puma has released an entire collection which pays homage to Italian football ingeneral and in particular to their double World Cup winning coach Vittorio Pozzo.

Puma King XL Italia Kit 2009

As any Italian football fan will tell you, blue isn’t just a colour, it’s a state of mind. So naturally enough, colour is the most distinct feature on the new Italy kit which they will wear exclusively in the Confederations Cup (one the tournament is over, they’ll revert to their current strip).

The new shade is called Cendre Blue and reflects the colour worn by Pozzo’s men through their successful years in the 1930’s. The oversized badge is also inspired by the Pozzo era.

Puma King XL Italia football

The King Italia Ball merges Italy’s illustrious football past with its glorious present. The ball’s heritage-inspired design, hand-sewn craftsmanship, and real leather casing, harkens back to Italy’s World Cup glory days in 1934 and 1938.

The ball also features the gold foil signatures of the 2008/2009 Italian national team players, making it a collector’s item for true fans of the Azzurri.

A wooden display and specially designed ball bag are also included. The display pedestal features the Puma Cat logo, as well as four gold stars to commemorate the Azzurri’s four World Championships.

Puma King XL Aqua Goalkeepers Gloves

Designed to be worn during the Confederations Cup in South Africa, the King XL Aqua glove provides unrivalled grip in wet conditions and absorbs impact from the fiercest shots, thanks to its Speed Response Aqua Latex palm.

The Twin Wrap Thumb and Control Wrap Technology maximize the latex-to-ball contact areas, while the Anatomically Spread tooling follows the hand’s natural shape and contours for total comfort.

The Cendre blue colour on the backhand complements the Italian national team shirt.

The entire Puma King XL Italia collection

Having enjoyed two major European finals over the past couple of weeks, the football world’s attention now turns to Wembley and the most famous cup final of them all, the FA Cup.

The London stadium will be packed and millions will tune in via live television as Everton and Chelsea go head to head on Saturday.

Some of players have been quoted as saying the game is too close to call – Chelsea with perhaps the edge on individual talent but Everton with all the discipline in the world and a marvellous team ethic.

Here’s the Footy Boots guide to where the match might be won and lost and to the football boots of the players that will doubtless hit the headlines.

Anelka v Baines

Nicolas Anelka has been a revelation since Guus Hiddink took over the reigns at Chelsea and he ended the season as the Premier League’s top scorer. Kitted out in his Puma v1.08’s, the Frenchman is expected to start on the right of a 3 man Chelsea attack although he’s shown many times already this campaign that he can cut through the middle with equally devastating affect.

But when stationed on the right of Drogba and Malouda, it’ll be the job of Everton’s Leighton Baines in his adidas Predator Control boots to keep him quiet as well as covering for Lescott and Yobo in the centre of defence.

Anelka has enjoyed great success in the Puma v1.08 Camo

Lampard v Neville

Frank Lampard is one of the best in the world at breaking from midfield. His seasonal goal tally is testament to that. Having declared himself as fully fit, the Londoner will be desperate to end the season with some silverware in the cabinet to ease the pain of Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final exit.

Being such an ominous threat, Everton are expected to put a man-marker on the England international and Phil Neville is favourite for the job. And, even better for us, is that with both players in adidas, it’s going to be an adiPure battle royal.

Lampard and Neville both go for the adiPure II

Cahill & Lescott v Terry & Alex.

Not a classic encounter as in forwards versus defenders, but more a reflection on the ariel threat the Everton duo will pose, particularly from set plays.

Both of them will be looking for that all-important spring from their Cup Final footwear, Cahill, in his Predator Powerswerves and Lescott in Nike Total 90 Laser II’s. So Alex (Nike Air Legend II) and Terry (Umbro SX Valor II - though he’s been training in the Speciali) will need to be on their collective guard.

Can the Total 90 Laser II propell Lescott to success?

Footy Boots prediction.

Chelsea by a whisker.

Home Page image from Wembley.com

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has declared himself fit for Saturday’s FA Cup final against Everton.

There had been concerns that a knee injury would rule him out of the season’s finale, but he has returned to training and will start the game.

This is very good news for Chelsea as they attempt to win their first piece of silverware since 2007. It is also Guus Hiddink’s last game in charge, so there are plenty of reasons why the Blues will want to secure victory this weekend.

Speaking about his injury concerns, Lampard revealed to the press that he ‘feels fit and ready to go’ after what he described as a ‘bit of a niggle’. The 30-year-old – who has arguably had his best season in a Chelsea shirt – will now be doing all he can to ensure his team are celebrating on the Wembley turf come 5pm on Saturday.

As for the game itself, Lampard admits that it is a difficult one to call. He describes Everton as a ‘very disciplined team’ who ‘work very hard to stop you playing’. They didn’t finish 5th in the league for no reason after all – they are a very capable team.

However, the England midfielder knows that if Chelsea play to the best of their ability, they will be very hard to beat. Hiddink’s men have ‘been playing very well lately’ according to Lampard and with this in mind; they will look to play their ‘usual football’.

The magic of the FA Cup has to be taken into account though and as underdogs, Everton definitely have a chance. Lampard is aware of this and he says that finals are ‘always huge events’ that can go either way. He then admitted that no-one can predict how Saturday’s game is going to ‘pan out’.

The neutral will want plenty of goals to entertain them, but both Chelsea and Everton will be happy with getting the job done in any way they can. One thing is for sure though, the way in which big name players such as Lampard perform, could end up deciding who goes home with the trophy.

By Thomas Rooney

Liverpool’s Fernando Torres and Manchester City’s Stephen Ireland will be remaining with their current club’s for the next 5 years.

Torres, who recently scored his 50th Liverpool goal, has been a huge success since joining the Anfield outfit from Atletico Madrid two years ago. Indeed, even though he had 4 years left to run on his current deal, Liverpool have offered him improved terms and added an option  to take the agreement through to 2013 / 2014.

Manager Rafael Benitez said:

Fernando is one of the best strikers in the game today and, at his age, can only get better.

Every major side would want him in their team, but he has shown how much he wants to achieve success at Liverpool by committing his future to the club.

He’s a special talent but still has the hunger to improve his game.

Meanwhile, Stephen Ireland has signed a new five-year contract at Manchester City.

The club’s player of the year had been linked with a number of other teams but has now pledged his future with City until 2014 saying:

I never had any doubts about staying. Hopefully, I’m going to be here for the remainder of my career.

I don’t see why not. I’m settled, I love the club and the fans and I don’t see what’s going to make me leave.

Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, who has led his side to three trophies this season, leads off reaction from the new champions of Europe.

Pep Guardiola

If you attack and are daring you have more chances of winning.

We have not been cowards, never in the match. There’s nothing more dangerous than not taking risks.

We have worked many, many hours this season and this is our payment.

Messi went back into midfield because we wanted to be superior in possession. Without the ball we are a disastrous team, a horrible team, so we need the ball.

We are not the best team in history but we have played the best season in history to win the three titles.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta

Pep and the players have played the best season in the history of Barca and they have demonstrated that they are the best team in history of Barca.

Pep in one year has really created a genius team. It has roots in Cruyff’s philosophy but at the same time he himself has created something.

Thierry Henry

Apart from the way we play it is also down to the way we fought all season.

In the first 10 minutes we were kind of lucky and playing against a United side who are difficult to beat. But we fight and we never give up.

I struggle to describe what we have achieved this year. No team has ever done this treble in Spain, it’s something amazing.

You always remember winners, that’s the difference. You can play good football, pass the ball well but unless you win silverware sometimes it doesn’t count.

Carles Puyol

I want to thank the fans and hope they enjoy the moment. The last few years haven’t been great. They have fought and suffered the same as we have.

Who said what following their 2 - 0 defeat by Barcelona in the Champions League final in Rome.

Sir Alex Ferguson

We didn’t play as well as we can but you have to give Barcelona credit.

Lionel Messi wasn’t the problem, Xavi and Andres Iniesta kept the ball all night and made it difficult for us.

We didn’t plan to lose a goal as early as that. We didn’t deal with it well enough, it gave them the opportunity to keep possession.

We knew what a good football team they were. We had difficulty in defending against them. Messi dropped into midfield and they kept possession and made it difficult for us.

The disappointment was the use of the ball when we got possession. You have to wait minutes to get it back off them. Could be it was an off night. Could be it was a mountain too big to climb.

But we’ve done well, it’s been a long season, we’ve had 66 games and you’ve got to give the players credit for their courage and resilience. Next season we’ll be better.

The better team won and there’s nothing we can do about that now.

Rio Ferdinand

You’ve got to give credit to Barcelona, they played well. We needed to play our best football and we didn’t produce it.

The first goal was a sucker punch, we’d had some good chances. They were two soft goals and we could have done better leading up to them and I could have done better with my positioning but we’ve got no excuses, they were a better team.

Edwin van der Sar

We have come from behind plenty of times before, so the goal itself was not an issue.  But what it did was to allow them to start playing a little bit. In situations like that you have to try and keep possession but at times I felt we lost it a little bit too easily.

Cristiano Ronaldo

One of the biggest disappointments of my career.

We were always confident before the game but unfortunately we couldn’t do it. It is always bad when you lose a final but we didn’t play well.

We did OK in the first 10 minutes but you have to say Barcelona deserved to win.

Wayne Rooney

Barcelona scored two good goals and, unfortunately for us, they came at good times. That made it very difficult for us.

Barcelona are a brilliant team. Andres Iniesta is the best player in the world in my opinion. If you don’t take your chances against them, they will punish you and that is what has happened.

It is very disappointing and the feeling at the moment is not a good one. We are hurting but we have to forget it and look forward to next season.

Ryan Giggs

At times Barcelona can make you look silly because they keep the ball so well.

At times we maybe chased it and didn’t keep our shape as well as we should have but, still, we created chances - and probably more chances than Barcelona.

We said whoever turned up on the night would win and that proved to be the case. They turned up and played some great football - we didn’t really.

I think if we had gone a goal ahead, we’re capable of keeping the ball like they are but credit to them, they deserved it.

After some of the wonder goals from previous rounds and the high drama of the semi-finals, the Champions League final may not have delivered edge-of-your-seat, 90 minute excitement but what it did give us was a truly dominant performance by Barcelona, the new kings of Europe.

In what was described as the dream final, they proved far too strong for Premier League champions Manchester United and deservedly ran out winners by 2 goals to nil.

Footy Boots looks back at the game and charts the Football Boots timeline.

Early chance

Two minutes in and Manchester United are applying the pressure. The English side win a free kick and Ronaldo’s effort is fumbled by Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes. Ji-Sung Park looks favourite to get to the rebound first but former United defender Gerard Pique intervenes and scrambles the ball away to safety.

Cristiano Ronaldo - Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly

Goal

United are still the team looking the most dangerous but their spell of domination is ended by Barcelona’s first real attack of the final with 10 minutes gone. Andres Iniesta injects some pace through midfield and releases Samuel Eto’o in to the United box. The Cameroon international is allowed to turn inside by Nemanja Vidic and with his new Puma v1.08’s, he fires the ball past Van der Sar. 1 - 0.

Andres Iniesta - Nike Total 90 Laser II

Skills

Iniesta may have been an injury doubt before this game but it looks like no-one told the player himself! Along with Xavi, he’s running midfield and already United are chasing the game. Then a mesmerising bit of skill from Lionel Messi as Carrick, Rooney and Vidic are all given the run around.

Xavi - adidas Predator Rome

Woodwork time

United have brought on Carlos Tevez for the second half but it’s not making much difference. Barcelona are still the dominat force and nearly double their advantage when Xavi hits the post. His curling effort beats Van der Sar but smacks the upright and rebounds away to safety.

Goal

Twenty minutes are left as United fail to clear and the ball falls to Xavi. He strolls forward and sends his cross towards Messi who has split the United centre backs. For a moment it looks as if the pass is too high, but the diminutive genius seems to hang in the air and expertly sends his header in to the corner of the net. 2 – 0.

Lionel Messi - adidas F30i /F50i

Dominance

United try and mount a response but Ronaldo’s effort is blocked by Valdes and once again, it’s the Spanish side who look the more dangerous. Even their defenders are getting in on the act as Carlos Puyul, the expected weak link at right back, plants a firm header goalwards but too close to the United keeper.

Carlos Puyol - Nike Air Legend II

Full time

It’s all over and Barcelona are the champions. The phrase reverberating around Rome and Manchester is: “We were beaten by a better team.” No doubt about it. They were.

Whilst Messi and Xavi stole the show in adidas with Iniesta on a par in Nike, let’s not forget that the opening goal of the Champions League final and the moment that rocked Manchester United back on their heels, was scored by Samuel Eto’o in new Puma v1.08’s.

The new boots, which are in a Black / Team Gold colourway are currently available on pre-order and are thought to be hitting the stores in the first week of June at a price of around £115 to £125.

The v1.08 focuses on velocity and engineered performance solutions for players on the move with minimalist design which is purposeful and striking.

The v1.08 has the sole goal of getting the player to the ball even faster. It certainly worked for Eto’o in Rome as he left Vidic for dead before shooting home and it’s worth noting that the English Premier League’s top scorer for 2008 / 09 Nicolas Anelka, no slouch himself, has also been sporting the boot this past season.

Technical attributes include a lightweight textile upper with a microfiber reinforcement, Puma AptoLast for a glove-like fit, UNI technology and a two-piece split outsole that further reduces the weight whilst also enhancing the overall fit.

Sizes: UK 6 - 14

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Wayne Rooney will be wearing his Nike Total 90 Laser II football boots in the Champions League final but not the pair that were flown out to him on Tuesday.

Manchester United and Nike have been involved in frantic activity to replace Rooney’s boots after they were apparently stolen after being delivered to Rome.

Rooney was reportedly planning to wear the boots in United’s final practice session but had to fall back on an old pair.

A United source said:

Everyone is staggered that someone would actually steal Rooney’s football boots.

They were signed for at the airport and were being couriered to the team hotel when they were intercepted.

This was either an opportunistic crime by someone who knew the worth of these boots, or sabotage by a Barcelona fan. But Rooney’s a model pro so fans can rest assured that his performance won’t be affected. However, we’d dearly love to get our hands on the thief.

Ronaldo beats Messi

Although they have yet to face each other on the pitch, Cristiano Ronaldo has recorded a significant victory over Lionel Messi.

Asked: “Who will have the biggest impact on the Champions League Final?” it was Ronaldo who edged out the Argentine in the Footy Boots debate.

When polling closed on Wednesday morning, nearly 4,000 of you had voted in just 5 days with the split favouring the Ronaldo / Nike combo. The Manchester United player scored 2,081 votes for 53% of the total with Messi & adidas on 1,875 votes for 47%.

Although close, it’s a ringing endorsement for Ronaldo who will of course be wearing the Nike Superfly as opposed to Messi in his brand new adidas F50i’s. Though, with all the drama the competition has generated so far, I doubt the result in Rome will be so clear cut, or indeed, a simple shoot out between the Nike & adidas poster boys.

Safety in Rome

Reports suggest that a number of VIP’s were caught up in long delays at Rome’s Fiumicino airport last night as the authrorities struggled to cope with the influx of fans. If this is the only blip supporters have to endure over the next 24 hours or so, then we can all be thankful.

Uefa has been warned by many outside parties that the Italian capital, with its long history of football related violence, was a risky choice to host the final. Let’s hope that all fans, Spanish and English, enjoy a safe stay in the city and peaceful time in the stadium. God forbid they don’t, then we’ll know who to blame won’t we?

Not just boots

It’s going to be fascinating to see all the new football boots on display in the final. Messi in his adidas F50i’s, Henry and Giggs in the Reebok Instante, Carrick in his newly personalized Puma King’s along with Eto’o possibly wearing a gold version of the Puma v1.08.

However, the new gear on show won’t just be limited to boots.

Both sets of teams will take to the field wearing the Limited Edition Eugene Track Jackets produced by Nike. The jacket, being shown here by United’s Cristiano Ronaldo and brought to you exclusively by Footy Boots, is part of Nike’s  Sportswear Icon’s range and will go on sale at the start of next season.

On the spot

Should it come down to penalties, and let’s hope that’s not to be the case, then United should certainly have the edge. The English side are shoot-out regulars and have won 4 out of the 5 penalty competitions they’ve contested since defeating Chelsea in last year’s CL final. By comparison, Barcelona haven’t been involved in spot-kicks to decide a match for over 11 years.

It promises to be a great game in Rome tonight as Manchester United take on Barcelona in the Champions League final.

And for the football boot enthusiast, it could be the pinnacle of the season with a host of new boots on show.

Lionel Messi - adidas F50i football boots

Much has been made of this boot of late with adidas coming out all guns blazing in a big-time marketing launch including posters, videos and of course, an on-pitch debut by the Argentine magician.

adidas will hope that the Barcelona player enjoys more freedom than he did against Chelsea in the semi final and that the biggest club stage of all provides an effective back drop to their most important launch for some time.

Footy Boots Final Factor

A very handy 8.5 / 10

Most Interesting Bet 

Messi to miss a penalty - 16 / 1

Michael Carrick - Puma King XL

Not exactly new boots, but new to Carrick as he’s had them personalised for the big game.

The United player has had the words “UCL Final Rome 2009″ stitched to the outside of each boot and “MC 16″, his initials and squad number, added to the tongue.

Big job tonight to keep the multi talenet Barca midfield quiet.

Footy Boots Final Factor

Could go either way - 5.5 / 10

Most Interesting Bet 

To be substituted - 11/ 4

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Ryan Giggs / Thierry Henry - Reebok Instante

It’s been a soft launch from Reebok as they try and repeat their success of last year when Giggs turned out in a unique pair of KFS Sprintfit Pro II’s.

But they have come up with a nice video which you can see here.

Footy Boots Final Factor 

Two quality players so a quality 7.5 / 10

Most Interesting Bet

Thierry Henry to score in any minute with 8 in it - 8 / 1

(And if we’d have found a picture of these two training together, now that would have been a story!)

Cristiano Ronaldo - Nike Vapor Superfly

Not new boots of course, but after his performances against Porto and Arsenal in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively, far too important to leave out of the equation. Plus, we found this excellent image of him training last night.

Footy Boots Final Factor

Potential match winner - 9 / 10

Most Interesting Bet 

To score opening goal 3 / 1

Owen Coyle will be pitting his wits against some of the top managers in the world next season.

Burnley manager Owen Coyle has said that he is looking forward to taking on the best managers around in the Premier League next season (and hopefully upsetting the football match odds now and again) after guiding his team to promotion from the Championship.

The Clarets capped off a remarkable season by defeating Sheffield United 1-0 in yesterday’s play-off final at Wembley thanks to an early strike from winger Wade Elliot. It was a goal worthy of winning any game and was enough to hand Burnley a deserved win.

After enjoying much success with the Championship club, Coyle has already been linked with the vacant post at Celtic, but he says that he is going nowhere. The Scotsman describes the Premier League as ‘full of the best players and managers in the world’, so this is where he wants to be.

As for the performance of his players during the victory over Sheffield United, he says that each and every one of them was ‘fantastic’. He also said that they have made the entire town of Burnley ‘proud and delighted’.

In terms of what lies ahead for Burnley, Coyle has described it as a ‘great adventure’ that everyone connected with the club should be looking forward to. The current squad has the ‘quality but not the quantity’ to compete in the top flight according to the Burnley boss.

With this in mind, it seems obvious to suggest that he will be looking to add a few players to his squad this summer. Coyle only built his current team with a budget of £2.5m though, so it will be interesting to see which financial road the club go down.

This is all in the future though and at this moment in time, Burnley should just enjoy the fact that they have made it to the Premier League. It is a remarkable achievement for a club of their size and they should relish every second of it.