This article was updated on January 9 to reflect the ball used in Sunday's FA Cup third round match between Arsenal and Manchester United.
Mikel Arteta was in no doubt.
The Arsenal manager was analyzing Tuesday's heartbreaking 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg when, unprompted by any of the journalists present, he announced that he was likely to I felt it would help explain the team's inability to convert. Every one of their 23 shots on the night went into the net.
At the post-match press conference, Arteta said, “We kicked a lot of balls over the bar, but it's difficult to get the ball to fly that far. There are things we can improve on in the details.''
When asked later for further comment, he added: “(The Carabao Cup ball) is very different from the Premier League ball, and the way it flies is different, so you have to adapt to that. When you touch it, the grip is also quite different, so you have to adapt to that.”
Arsenal were certainly profligate, with Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Julian Timber all missing great chances. But was the ball used, an Orbiter 1 made by German manufacturer Puma, really the culprit?
Newcastle forwards Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon appeared to have no problem converting chances in their own half, with Arsenal scoring 11 goals in three games against Preston North End last week. However, the ball did not stop Arsenal. , Bolton Wanderers and Crystal Palace.
Arteta's claims were met with skepticism from all quarters, particularly from the English Football League (EFL), which hosts the Carabao Cup, the second-largest cup competition in English football after the FA Cup. .
“In addition to the Carabao Cup, the same ball is also successfully used in other major European leagues, including Serie A and La Liga, as well as the three divisions of the EFL,” the company said in a statement. “All clubs play with the same ball (in the competition) and we have not received any comments of this nature since the last 88 games played in the Carabao Cup this season.”
Puma has not responded yet The AthleticThis is a comment request from .
But was Arteta's outburst really that outlandish? After all, there are two external factors (besides the players) that have a significant impact on the outcome of a soccer match. It's the pitch and the ball. Therefore, it stands to reason that any unexpected variation in any of these could affect the results.
As Premier League clubs, Arsenal and Newcastle are used to training and playing with Nike Flight balls. American company Nike has been supplying soccer balls used in England's top flight since the 2000-01 season, when it replaced British company Miter as the ball manufacturer, and since then, players have been using the company's balls in league matches. I have prepared and played. However, there may be times when you are forced to make changes.
Arsenal will also be competing in the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Champions League this season, and different balls (made by other companies) will be used in each. In addition to Puma's Orbiter 1, Adidas supplies balls for the Miters in the Champions League and FA Cup.
It was confirmed on Thursday that the ball used in Sunday's third round match against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium will be a special gold edition of the Ultimax Pro model that United won last season. Ta.
Something for the winner… 🏆
As a current holder @EmiratesFACup 23/24 season, @ManUtd will play in Sunday's third round draw with Arsenal with this gold limited edition Ultimax professional match ball.
Let's see if they can make it all the way to the finals… pic.twitter.com/LlekjNQAZh
— Mitre Sports (@MitreSports) January 9, 2025
They all have similar dimensions and are made from similar materials, but even slight changes in design can make a noticeable difference.“The more 'perfect' a ball is, the more likely it is to be unstable,” says Justin Lee, founder of ball manufacturing company Haworth Athletic. “They all have their own personalities. If you look at the FIFA Ball rules, everything has a range. If the field is wet, the ball can only hold a certain amount of water. There is a wide range of sphericity and ball bounce.
The competition rules state that a regulation size 5 ball must have a circumference of 68 to 70 cm (26.8 to 27.6 inches) and a weight of 410 to 450 grams (14 to 16 ounces) at the start of the match. It must also be inflated to a pressure of 0.6 to 1.1 bar at sea level.
Premier League uses Nike Flight 2024 ball (Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
“You have to have some intuition with the ball,” Lee said. “Select's Brilliant Super, for example, will go where you want it to go. But the more 'perfect' the ball is, the more likely it is to be unstable. Those using thermal bonding technology or high-grade materials can become so spherical that their dynamics and trajectory change. They can go in different directions. ”
At the 2010 Men's World Cup in South Africa, it wasn't just the sound of horns from fans blowing vuvuzelas, a trumpet-like instrument, that dominated the conversation. Adidas' now infamous Jabulani also made headlines, becoming perhaps the most recognizable and controversial ball in the sport's modern history.
The Jabulani was constructed from eight thermally bonded panels with a textured surface (named Grip 'n' Grooves by Adidas) that is said to improve aerodynamics. But for players at that World Cup, it turned out to be a nightmare, with goalkeepers and outfield players alike complaining about balls that curved out of control after being kicked.
In comments reported by the BBC, Iker Casillas, whose Spanish team will win the final, said: “It's a shame that such an important tournament has such an important element as the ball, which is in such poor condition. ” he commented. Meanwhile, according to Brazilian news outlet O Globo, Brazilian player Julio Cesar described it as “terrible” and like “something sold in a supermarket”.
Casillas didn't like Jabulani's 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 playing career ended he became an expert in applying science to football equipment, contributing to the design of the original Adidas Predator boots. . In a 12-page complaint to world soccer governing body FIFA's then-president Sepp Blatter, obtained by British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, Johnston said: “Whoever is responsible for this , he should be taken away and shot for his crimes against football.”
The general opinion at the time about jabulani was that it was unfit for purpose, but it was not widely disliked.
Clint Dempsey sneaked a shot under goalkeeper Rob Green's body to equalize during the USMNT's 1-1 group stage draw with England, a pre-tournament reporter reported by FOX Sports. He said the following at the press conference: To be good with the ball…sometimes you have to be a little more careful when passing the ball. ”
It was also a decisive tournament for former Uruguay and Manchester United striker Diego Forlan.
Former national team colleague Diego Abreu told Uruguayan media El Futobolero in 2020 that Forlan received Jabulani from Adidas three months before the start of the World Cup, and used it to practice shooting and free kicks. He said he was planning to do so. As a result, Forlan scored five goals to help Uruguay advance to the semi-finals, finishing as the tournament's top scorer and joint top scorer. His mastery of the Jabulani was just that, and he also left South Africa with the tournament goal award and the Golden Ball, which goes to the player of the tournament.
Forlan trained extensively with Jabulani before the 2010 World Cup (Rodrigo Arangua/AFP via Getty Images)
Jabulani is perhaps the most extreme modern example of soccer's influence on shot quality and trajectory, and it is unlikely we will see such an outlier again. Still, 15 years later, many players still see a noticeable difference when switching to a ball from a different manufacturer.
“When I went to the Premier League and started playing with the Nike ball compared to the Miter ball in the Championship, I noticed that the ball was much lighter,” said former Reading and Cardiff City striker Adam Le Fondre. say. “I felt like I could move a little more now.
“The Maitre Balls were like cannonballs. They don't move or deviate from their plan, they act in a straight line. As a striker, it might be better to have a little more wobble, and even if they didn't connect well… But a Nike ball from the Premier League might have still been there. They gave me a little more help.”
This kind of thing doesn't just happen in the soccer world.
In October, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick complained that the NBA was using a new basketball instead of the one already in use.
“Tomorrow, I'm going to send a request to the league to play with a worn-out basketball,” Redick, who previously spent 15 seasons in the NBA as a player, told various outlets in a postgame press conference. “I don't know why you can't play an actual game with a brand new basketball. Anyone who's ever touched a brand new NBA ball has a different feel and touch than a well-worn basketball.”
Lakers head coach Redick wasn't happy about using a new basketball instead of a well-worn one. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
At the beginning of the 2021-22 season, the NBA switched ballmakers from Spalding to Wilson, which has been cited as one of the reasons for the league's poor shooting percentage. “This is a completely different basketball. It doesn't have the touch or the softness of the Spalding ball,” Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George said in the postgame press conference. “You're going to see a lot of terrible mistakes this year. You've seen a lot of air balls (shots that miss the hoop, the net, and even the backboard completely). Again, making excuses and… I'm not trying to blame basketball, but teeth different. “
It didn't take long for players to get used to the different feel of Wilson's ball, and shooting percentages increased again. Still, it highlights how small differences can impact elite athletes who are familiar with specific equipment.
Arsenal used the PUMA Orbita 1 in a short training session on Monday between Saturday's 1-1 Premier League draw with Brighton and Newcastle (as Newcastle entered the season, they used the PUMA Orbita 1 to get used to the PUMA ball). (There was plenty of time) Carabao Cup one round earlier than Arsenal. Arsenal qualified for Europe and received a bye). But judging by his comments, Arteta must be wondering whether he should get the game going sooner in preparation for the decisive second leg at St James' Park on February 5.
Additionally, the extra time his players get to handle these balls could prepare them for next season, just like Forlan did. PUMA has a deal in place to become the Premier League's official football supplier from the 2025-26 season onwards.
(Top photo: Arteta and controversial orbiter 1; Getty Images)
