This article was updated on 9 January to reflect the ball used in Sunday’s FA Cup third round tie between Arsenal and Manchester United.
Mikel Arteta has no doubts about it.
As the Arsenal boss dissected the 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg on Tuesday, with no reporters in the room to prompt him, he asked an unlikely question which he believed had Helping explain his team’s inability to convert, none of the 23 shots on goal that night were scored.
“We also kicked a lot of balls over the crossbar and they flew a lot, which is tricky, so there are some details we can do better,” Arteta said at his post-match press conference.
Asked later to elaborate on his comments, he added: “(The Carabao Cup ball) is very different to the Premier League ball and you have to get used to that because it flies in a different way when you touch it. , the grip strength is also very different, so you have to get used to it.
Arsenal were certainly spendthrift, with Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Urien Timber all passing up good chances. But was the ball used – the Orbita 1, made by German manufacturer Puma – really the culprit?
Newcastle forwards Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon don’t seem to have any problem with this, converting chances for their side and having scored in three games against Preston in the previous rounds. Scored 11 goals.
Arteta’s complaints have been met with skepticism in many quarters, not least by the English Football League (EFL), which organizes the Carabao Cup, English football’s second-tier trophy after the FA Cup.
“As well as the Carabao Cup, the same ball is used successfully in other major European leagues, including Serie A and La Liga as well as our three English Football League tiers,” the company said in a statement. “All clubs (in “
Puma has yet to respond CompetitorRequest for comment.
But is Arteta’s outburst that strange? After all, there are two external factors (besides the players) that can have a significant impact on the outcome of a football match – the pitch and the ball. So, it stands to reason that any unexpected changes in any of them could affect the results.
As Premier League clubs, Arsenal and Newcastle are accustomed to using Nike Flight balls for training and games. Nike USA has been supplying footballs to England’s top flight since the 2000-01 season, when it replaced Mitte UK as the football manufacturer, with players preparing and playing in the league ever since. However, sometimes they have to make changes.
Arsenal also compete in the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Champions League this season, using different balls (made by other manufacturers) in each competition. In addition to Puma’s Orbita 1, Adidas also supplies balls for the Champions League and Miter for the FA Cup.
On Thursday, it was confirmed that the ball used in Sunday’s third round tie against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium will be a special gold version of the Ultimax Pro model to commemorate United’s win in the competition last season.
Something for the winners…🏆
as current holder @EmiratesFACup 23/24 season, @ Manchester United The gold limited edition Ultimax Pro match ball will be used in Sunday’s third round tie against Arsenal.
Let’s see if they can make it all the way to the finals… pic.twitter.com/LlekjNQAZh
— MitreSports (@MitreSports) January 9, 2025
Although they all have similar dimensions and are made from similar materials, slight changes in design can make a significant difference.“The more ‘perfect’ the ball is, the more likely it is to be unstable,” says Justin Lea, founder of ball manufacturer Hayworth Athletic. “They all have their own personality. If you look at FIFA’s ball rules, everything has a range. If the pitch is wet, the ball can only retain a certain amount of water. The ball’s shape and bounce have a scope.
The rules of the game stipulate that at the start of the game, the circumference of a standard No. 5 ball must be 68-70 cm (26.8-27.6 inches) and the weight must be between 410 and 450 grams (14-16 ounces). It must also be inflated to a pressure of 0.6-1.1 bar at sea level.
The Premier League is using the Nike Flight 2024 ball (Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
“Having a certain instinct for the ball,” Lea said. “Select’s Brilliant Super, for example, will do what you need. But the more “perfect” the ball is, the more likely it is to be unstable. Some objects with thermal bonding techniques and high-end materials can become so spherical that the dynamics and trajectory change .They can go in many different directions.
At the 2010 Men’s World Cup in South Africa, it wasn’t just the sound of fans blowing vuvuzelas (a trumpet-like instrument) that sparked discussion. Adidas’ now infamous Jabulani also became a hot topic, becoming arguably the most recognized and controversial ball in the modern history of the sport.
The Jabulani is made up of eight thermally bonded panels with a textured surface (adidas calls it Grip ‘n’ Groove) that is said to improve aerodynamics. However, it was a nightmare for the players at that World Cup, with goalkeepers and outfield players complaining about the ball turning uncontrollably after being kicked.
“It’s a shame that such an important match was in such bad shape,” Iker Casillas, whose Spanish side went on to win the final, said in comments reported by the BBC. Meanwhile, Brazilian player Julio Cesar called it “scary” and like “something sold in a supermarket,” Brazilian news outlet O Globo reported.
Casillas disliked the Jabulani ball at the 2010 World Cup (Lluis Gene/AFP via Getty Images)
One of the fiercest opponents was former Liverpool midfielder Craig Johnston, who after his career became an expert in applying science to football gear and helped design the original Adidas Predator boots. In a 12-page complaint letter obtained by British newspaper The Daily Telegraph and written to Sepp Blatter, the then president of world soccer’s governing body FIFA, Johnston wrote: “Whoever is responsible should be caught and shot for crimes against football.”
The common contemporary opinion about Jabulani is that it is not fit for purpose, but it is not universally disliked.
Clint Dempsey sneaked a shot under goalkeeper Rob Green to equalize the U.S. national team’s 1-1 draw with England in the group stage, he said in a pre-match press conference reported by Fox Sports : “If you hit the ball solid, you can have good knuckles on the ball…sometimes you have to pay more attention when passing the ball.”
It also provided former Uruguay and Manchester United striker Diego Forlan with his defining game.
His former national team colleague Diego Abreu told Uruguayan media El Futbolero in 2020 that Forlan asked Adidas to send him a pair of Jabulani three months before the World Cup, which he would use It practices shots and free kicks. As a result, Forlan became the joint top scorer at the World Cup, with his five goals helping Uruguay reach the semi-finals. Such was his mastery over Jabulani that he left South Africa with the tournament’s best goal scorer and the Ballon d’Or, awarded to the man voted the best player of the match.
Forlan practiced extensively with Jabulani ahead of the 2010 World Cup (Rodrigo Arangua/AFP via Getty Images)
Jabulani remains perhaps the most extreme modern example of football’s impact on the quality and trajectory of a shot, and it’s unlikely we’ll see such an anomaly again. Still, even 15 years later, many players still feel a noticeable difference when switching to a different ball brand.
“When I went to the Premier League I started using Nike balls and compared to the Miter balls in the Championship I found they felt much lighter,” said former Reading and Cardiff City striker Adam Le Fondre. “I think I’ll get more exercise because of it.
“Angle balls are more like cannonballs. They don’t move or deviate from the plan – they go in a straight line. As a striker, you might want to have a little more wiggle, or even if you don’t have good contact with it, in the Premier League The Nike ball may still go in.
This doesn’t only happen in football.
In October, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick complained about using new basketballs in the NBA instead of worn-out ones.
“Tomorrow I’m going to make a request to the league that we play with worn-out basketballs,” Redick, who played in the NBA for 15 seasons, told multiple media outlets at a postgame press conference. “I don’t know why we can play real games with a brand new basketball. Anyone who touches a new NBA ball will feel and feel different from the old basketball.
Lakers head coach Redick was unhappy with using a new basketball instead of the old one (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
At the beginning of the 2021-22 season, the NBA changed its ball manufacturer from Spalding to Wilson, which is considered to be one of the reasons for the decline in shooting percentage across the league. “It’s just a different kind of basketball. It doesn’t have the feel and the softness of the Spalding ball,” Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George said at the postgame press conference. “You’re going to see a lot of bad turnovers this year. You’re going to see a lot of loose shots (shots that completely miss the rim, the net, or even the backboard). Again, not to make excuses or put any blame on basketball, but it yes Different.
It didn’t take long for the players to get used to the different feel of the Wilson ball, and shooting percentages were up again. Still, it highlights how small differences can impact elite athletes familiar with specific equipment.
Arsenal used the Puma Orbita 1 in training on Monday, during the short break between Saturday’s 1-1 Premier League draw with Brighton and the match against Newcastle United (who entered this season’s league with Extra time to adapt to Puma Orbita 1) Carabao Cup one round earlier than Arsenal as the latter already qualified for Europe). However, judging by his comments, Arteta must be wondering whether he should have introduced them sooner in preparation for the decisive second leg at St James’ Park on February 5.
Furthermore, any extra time his players get with the balls could serve as Forlan’s preparation for next season – with Puma having a deal in place to become the Premier League’s official football supplier from 2025-26.
(Above: Arteta with the controversial Orbita 1; Getty Images)
