Every four years when the World Cup is approaching there are always complaints about how bad the ball is – mostly from goalkeepers. This time it’s no different. But what is alarming this time around is that all of those players are making similar complaints. Mind you, the complaints are not just coming from the second grade or the third grade players heading to the World Cup.
The likes of Gigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Julio Cesar (Brazil) and David James (England) have all said pretty much the same thing. Since Chile’s goalie called it a “beach ball” maybe that is why Spain chose Pepe Reina to be their third choice keeper.
Anyways, Who Ate All The Pies collected the top 10 complaints against the Adidas Jabulani – World Cup’s official ball – and here are the most interesting three:
Gianluigi ‘Gigi’ Buffon (goalkeeper, Italy):
“The ball is a problem. You can’t anticipate which direction it is going to go in. It is difficult for defenders to deal with and you can’t take your eye off the ball until the very last second.”
Luis Fabiano (forward, Brazil):
“It’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.”
Julio Cesar (goalkeeper, Brazil):
“It’s terrible… like a ball you’d buy in a supermarket.”
Also see: Official World Cup ball – Adidas Jabulani | Top 10 complaints about Adidas Jabulani | Adidas Jabulani Field Test.
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