As every year in January since 1976, the Panini group releases a new sticker album dedicated to the French championship. And to celebrate these four decades of success, Panini has prepared a little gift for its loyal collectors.
40 years of passion, collections, and above all, success. This is how we can sum up the history of Panini France subsidiary. Created in 1961 by the Italian brothers Giuseppe and Benito Panini* and released in France in 1976, the Panini album has become an institution for all football enthusiasts.
Every year, many children – and even some adults – eagerly await the release of the “grail,” the edition dedicated to the French football championship. Soccer lovers who take care to collect stickers and complete their album. And they won’t be disappointed again this year, with no less than 520 stickers to stick on the 96 pages, including 100 special stickers (badges, Top players, Top prospects, Top recruits). The stickers are more detailed than ever since the vignettes will include many essential details about players, from nationality to achievements, including date of birth, height, weight, and even the Twitter account.
And this year, the Panini group has decided to pamper these collectors by releasing, in addition to the normal version, an exclusive collector’s version, just to celebrate its 40th anniversary in style.
Included in this collector’s version: a retrospective on 12 clubs currently playing in Ligue 1 that were already part of the elite of French football in 1976, the date of the first Panini album dedicated to the French championship.
A little historical reminder that gives young people the opportunity to learn more about the history of the championship, and for the older ones to remember some memories. But beware, only the quickest will benefit from this little bonus, as the collector’s version is a limited edition.
by Steeve Carlin
