EDICOLA NEWS: THE REVIEWS nr. 314
album: Calciatori ADRENALYN 2023/24 (Panini)
cards: 471 (1-471) + 28 limited edition + 5 cards momentum + rare card
starter pack: binder + 5 packets + 3 cards limited edition 9,90€
box: 24 packets (6 cards per packet) 1,00€ each
tin pocket box: 14 cards + 4 limited edition (with Topolino)
tin box: 41 cards + 4 limited edition 11,99€
Premium packets 5,00€ (price tbc), Premium Oro packets 10,00€ (price tbc)
packets PLUS: october 1,00€ each
limited edition: read article
New edition for the Calciatori Adrenalyn, a release awaited above all by the youngest, as long as the terms are these, it will hardly be able to dominate the “flagship”, or the Calciatori with the old stickers. It is a different product and as such it is presented in every way, it was not born as an encyclopedia of Italian football, it is inevitably out of date.
The printing in August considers the squad as of 10 July, therefore it is also difficult to believe that errors are still being found in Milinkovic Savic in Lazio or Arnautovic in Bologna. It cannot be otherwise. For the same reason, it’s a great thing that the Calciatori stickers come out in December, it hasn’t always been like this. In other words, those who, like us, remain faithful to the classic stickers, can sleep peacefully. In these terms and with this type of offer, as much as the publishers try, we don’t believe that the classic sticker album risks disappearing in the short term.
Commendable that Panini tries to update the Adrenalyn collection with new categories every year. The graphics always remain discreet without particular top player hits (to stay on topic), when compared to other card editions, especially those Made in the USA. On the other hand, it is a collection designed for a young audience; if we do not include rare or limited cards, it is a more attractive economic proposition than adhesive stickers. Of course, for those who want all the limited cards and throw themselves into the search for the ultra rare ones, it is a different matter. It is appreciable that the costs of all products are more or less the same as in 2022, on the other hand growth has been exponential in recent years, sooner or later it had to stop or at least slow down.
We like the background of the basic cards, which incorporates the social colors of the clubs and the logo at the top left. Indeed we dare to say that it is among the best solutions of recent years. The choice of the “Energy” category with the main purchases for summer 2023 is questionable, which however… is still in progress! For years, Italian football hasn’t thrived on big scoops like English football or the Arab novelty, beyond any logic and rule, but in the last season it still allowed us to reach the three finals of European competitions.
The cards with more players, this year the “imparabili”, have never driven us crazy, both from a graphic and technical point of view. The presence of different players seems objectively a stretch, not very convincing even in the eyes of the hottest of fans. The “Stelle” are more interesting. As always, the now traditional 5 Top Player cards will be sought after, or rather 6 counting the Super Top Player. The individual Team Scudetto and Invincible cards have been confirmed. On the other hand, it will take a lot of luck to find one of the 250 copies of the Premium Original Autograph card, more copies but always not orderable as the 5 Momentums, the 2 Mitos and a cumulative Mythical Invincible which collects the samples of the recent past in a single image: Zanetti, Pirlo, Kakà, Totti, Cavani and Klose. We would have preferred it as “the magnificent 7” by adding Batistuta with the Fiorentina shirt.
28 cards limited as follow:
Starter Pack: Ferguson, Danilo, Spinazzola
Tin Box serie Oro: Marin, Hjulmand, Mazzocchi, Laurienté
Bustine Premium: Martinez, Chiesa, Giroud, Pellegrini
Bustine Premium Oro: Biraghi, Ciurria, Singo, Fagioli, Turati, Lovric
Topolino 3538: Caprari
Topolino 3539: Calabria
Topolino 3540: Meret
Topolino 3541: Badelj
Bomber september: Saponara
Bomber october: Ricci
Bomber november: Rodrigo Becao
We don’t quite agree on the concept of value used by Panini too good-naturedly, also giving the collection an economic imprint that shouldn’t exist if the target is that of the very young. It is more understandable that the publisher finds a trick to sell more copies of its other products and therefore that some limited cards are attached to the weekly Topolino (appreciable even without) and the Bomber magazine (unpresentable except for the attachments, but the same also happens in Spain and France).
The historical concept of “a Panini collection is always completed” has disappeared, but the world has changed a lot, Panini as well, unfortunately there is no turning back. With the prospect of the arrival of parallels (for now only rumors) in the traditional Calciatori, the future has a well-defined direction.
(EN)