The English Football League (EFL) has defended the ball being used in this year’s Carabao Cup in response to Mikel Arteta complaining that it “flies differently” after Arsenal’s defeat to Newcastle on Tuesday.
Arsenal lost the first leg of their semi-final at Emirates Stadium 2-0 despite having 23 shots, with three on target. Arteta suggested the ball, which is manufactured by Puma, could have played a role in their defeat because it is different to the Nike balls used in the Premier League.
“We kicked a lot of balls over the bar, and it’s tricky that these balls fly a lot so there’s details that we can do better,” he said. “It’s very different to a Premier League ball, and you have to adapt to that because it flies differently. When you touch it the grip is very different as well, so you adapt to that.”
The EFL said on Wednesday “all clubs play with the same ball” and that it had not received any similar complaints, adding: “As is required throughout the professional game, the Puma ball used in this season’s Carabao Cup and in EFL competition since 2021-22 is tested in accordance with the Fifa Quality Programme for Footballs, and meets the Fifa Quality Pro standard. In addition to the Carabao Cup, the same ball has been successfully used in other major European leagues, including both Serie A and La Liga and our three divisions in the EFL. All clubs play with the same ball, and we have received no further comments of this nature following any of the previous 88 fixtures which have taken place in this season’s Carabao Cup.”
Puma is set to take over as the manufacturer of the official Premier League ball from the start of next season after signing a lucrative deal to replace Nike.
Arteta was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City in 2017 when Guardiola complained about the Mitre balls being used in the Carabao Cup after beating Wolves on penalties in the last 16. “It is not acceptable, the ball was unacceptable for a high-level competition,” Guardiola said. “It is too light, it moves all over the place, it is not a good ball. It is impossible to score with a ball like that and I can say that because we won, I’m not making excuses.”
Source: theguardian.com
