Last week we ran a poll questioning how many of you were concerned about the new World Cup ball – the adidas Jabulani
It turns out, not that many!
The same, cannot be said for the stars of the World Cup – as they’ve turned out in droves after the most recent round of international friendlies to have a right old moan.
Kicking things off was Brazil’s Julio Cesar: “It’s terrible, horrible,” said Cesar after training “It’s like one of those balls you buy in the supermarket.”
Brazil’s goalkeeping coach Wendell also chipped in, when he said the new ball was highly unpredictable when hit from long range. “The danger for goalkeepers is when they come off their line,” he said. “They need to stay in a safe place otherwise the ball will drop behind them (and into the goal).”
Luis Fabiano was also on hand to lay into the new adidas ball: œIt™s very weird, all of a sudden it changes trajectory on you. It™s like it doesn™t want to be kicked. It™s incredible, it™s like someone is guiding it. You are going to kick it and it moves out of the way. I think it™s supernatural, it™s very bad.
If it’s not enough having the FIFA-Ranked Number one team in the world complaining about it, current World Cup holders Italy also have something to say about it.
Pazzini and the Jabulani in happier times
Giampaolo Pazzini noted over the weekend:
“The balls are a disaster, both for goalkeepers and attackers, It moves so much and makes it difficult to control. You jump up to head a cross and suddenly the ball will move and you miss it.
“It is especially bad for the goalkeepers if it means they concede a goal because they can’t judge the trajectory,” he said. “It is like one of those balls you buy at the supermarket.”
In addition to Julio Cesar, that makes Pazzini another of the World’s best players who have, apparently, bought footballs from supermarkets in the past, then!
In addition, Iker Casillas of Tournament favourites Spain also slammed the Jabulani:
“It™s a bit like a beachball! It’s sad that that such an important competition like the World Cup has such an important element like this ball of appalling condition.”
Word from the Socceroo‘s camp isn’t too good either, as Australia’s ‘Big Man’ Josh Kennedy also had some complaints too:
“It’s difficult. You anticipate it’s going to come to you and then it moves away from you, in that sense it’s hard to judge things. You need to keep your eye on things.
“It’s good we’ve got two weeks here and we can see how it moves and get used to it.”
Defender Michael Beauchamp also said defenders would struggle to handle crosses into the box.
“They seem to get caught up somewhere up there. You think they’re coming to you and they move at the last second,”
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why is it all the players that arent sponsred by adidas that are making all the complaints.
they should just change out the world cup ball and use the ones they used for the last world cup and last years UEFA cup when they still have some time left before the world cup. i dont want to see a world cup where more of the game is based on dumb luck than skill. it takes away the whole element. but i also dont want to see a world cup where players look like they are playing like crap just cuz of the darn ball. it wouldnt be any fun.
Players bitch about the ball every year. I think the German league went ok while using the new ball.
North Korea’s Jong Tae-se made a good example of the strange trajectory changes…
Casillas’ Spain is sponsored by Adidas.
And as the players have already said, it takes time to adjust. Nike-sponsored teams may not be allowed (?) by Nike to train with balls other than Nike ones, so that would give the 12 adidas-sponsored teams in the world cup an advantage over the others.
I say toss a mitre ball in there instead, at least there will be noting to complain about and all the goals and saves and clearances will be legit.
Pazzini and Julio Cesar both said Its like one of the balls you buy at a supermarket. What kind of supermarket has footballs?
– SkilletBoi has a point, Mitre balls do tend to be much more reliable, but Adidas practically owns the world cup making sure no other companies get sponsors in at all so the Jabulani isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
I would laugh if all the teams are saying the ball is rubbish AFTER the tournament… Fabio Capello, are you listening? Now there’s something to blame if England don’t win the World Cup!
isn’t casillas adidas sponsored?
Casillas is Reebok
Casillas is Reebok, who are owned by adidas 🙂
just trained with a few of these balls…they definitely move around. They are nice to knock long goal kicks, but when trying to hit an accurate pass in the air, it moves around
Well, at the last world cup it was the keepers complaining…this time it’s players too……
As someone said above the german league went fine with this ball used for over half the season….
It’s all so confusing. The worst for a fan like me is that when I want to buy a pro-level ball I have to hesitate. 🙁
hehe… only non-adidas players slamming so either adidas players know when to shut up or the other guys (maybe mainly Nike?) are being told to call it a supermarket ball….
Anyway, its not affecting me on Fifa10 WC edition… won the Cup with Argentina yesterday, highlight was beating Spain 3-0 in the semis!
I lov big swerving balls
I own this ball and play with it once every week.
i really like it and i dont see any problems in it.
also, it is tested by FIFA and it has the highest FIFA rating as adidas says, so i don’t know why people are complaining given that the ball was tested exstensively to check how it moves and flyes and everything.
here is proof its so unpredictable
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDstXW7bxSo&feature=related
Here in Hong Kong we use it in the league , and we get to train with it everyday.. there s a big diference from the other WC balls , this one is difficult to control and to kick it the place you want.. it s a very strange ball , i prefer the adidas from the last WC , or the red and white one that is the same model (just the colour changes) …
Hope a to see the national teams playing at thei full potential !!
I m A proud South african and portuguese Hope these 2 can go far in the WC 2010!!
cheers!!
Well with my one outing with the jabulani id have to agree it did feel like playing with a kickball because of the odd texture and weight, but i dont know how much it behaved unpredictably and how rusty i have become. from what ive seen of the ball in the mls… well the mls is not a good example seems as we insist on using turf fields and fields that are too small seems as half of them are really american football fields. that combined with that hodgepodge of styles we have in the mls… well it makes for sloppy play now and then whatever ball is being used.
really its part of being a keeper to complain about the ball, but if the strikers are complaining too, probably worth looking into
hahaha, now with this kind of ball, not only skills that’ll count, but also luck!
inzaghi and solksjaer would surely kick ass if only they play in this world cup. they have all the luck in the world 😀
i bet if the ball were those heavy leather balls that soak up water when its wet and feels like a coconut when you hit it with your head. and im sure these players will complain as well..
i just feel that the players are just being themselves and complaining about the balls or the pitch or the referee is kinda normal to me.. part of the game..
and perhaps if the game goes bad, you now have an excuse to blame the ball.
How come we never hear a single complaint about the Premier League ball? Nothing from goalkeepers, Nike players, Adidas!