Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has voiced his dissatisfaction with the balls used in England’s domestic cup competitions.
His comments come in the wake of similar remarks by Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta earlier this season, who faced backlash for criticizing the Carabao Cup balls after Arsenal’s semi-final loss to Newcastle.
City secured a 3-1 victory over Championship side Plymouth in the FA Cup on Saturday but registered 20 shots off target during the game.
Guardiola specifically took issue with the Mitre balls used in the FA Cup, stating his displeasure with their performance during the match.
“The ball in the Champions League is exceptional, the ball in the Premier League is exceptional, this one isn’t,” he said. “It’s difficult to control.
“When you lose it [sounds like] you’re complaining, but the ball is not right. In many years it’s happened in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, I know it’s a business and they come to agreements.
“You know how many shots went over? Look at other games. Normally the ball goes inside from these shots. “
Nike balls are used in the Premier League, with Adidas balls utilised in Uefa’s European competitions, and Puma balls for the EFL Cup.
In response to Guardiola’s comments, a Football Association spokesperson said: “Mitre’s Ultimax Pro ball – used in the Emirates FA Cup and all other FA competitions – has been tested in accordance with Fifa testing.
“All footballs in the professional game are required to meet the Fifa Quality pro accreditation, and this ball delivers against all of the testing requirements.
“Alongside Mitre, we understand that preference is subjective, but we’re confident that the ball performs well. With over 350 goals scored in the knockout competition so far, it provides an exciting element to such a competitive tournament.”
City’s three goals in Saturday’s FA Cup game came from 29 shots, of which nine were on target.
In their 4-0 Premier League win over Newcastle United on 15 February, Guardiola’s side had 11 shots with seven on target.
Clubs are given the relevant balls to train with before cup fixtures.
In the weekend’s FA Cup action, several Premier League sides had a higher percentage of shots on target than in their previous league matches, including Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle.
‘These balls fly a lot’
In February, Arsenal boss Arteta, who was Guardiola’s assistant manager at City for three years, criticised the Puma ball used in the EFL Cup.
The Gunners were beaten 2-0 by Newcastle in the semi-final first leg which saw them have 23 shots during the match, but just three were on target.
“We kicked a lot of balls over the bar, and it’s tricky that these balls fly a lot,” he said.
In a statement at the time, the EFL said the balls complied with world governing body Fifa’s highest standards and were successfully used in other major European leagues, including Italy’s Serie A and Spain’s La Liga.