Criticism mounting over World Cup ball Jabulani (Feature)

By Christian Hollmann Jun 14, 2010, 16:10 GMT

Johannesburg - Criticism of the World Cup ball is mounting and voices against the Jabulani are growing in influence as teams struggle to deal with the ball just four days into South Africa 2010.

Despite its name, which is Zulu for to celebrate, the ball has met with little applause from teams in South Africa.

Both Algeria and Slovenia complained about it after their Group B contest on Sunday and since then Argentina ace Lionel Messi voiced his concern about the product of his contractual partner adidas. Dutch national team coach Bert van Marwijk also joined the list of critics.

'All the players, including the goalkeeper, said the ball seems to rise very quickly in the air and when it hits the ground,' said Algeria coach Rabah Saadane.

Slovenian captain Robert Koren also had harsh words for the official World Cup ball.

'There have been a lot discussions about the ball. It is difficult to control the ball when making long passes and the goalkeepers are having problems,' he said.

Those making complaints have grown in prominence. Barca superstar Messi showed no regard for business partnerships in speaking out against the ball produced by adidas - outfitter of the Argentina playmaker.

'The ball is difficult for the goalkeepers and also for us. We cannot really get used to it,' complained the Argentine.

The German-based adidas answered the criticism by saying teams and players have had more than six months to try out the ball.

'Criticism of the World Cup ball is as much a part of the World Cup as the opening match,' said adidas spokesman Oliver Brueggen.

'The fact is that Jabulani has been intensively tested; been in use in international leagues since December 4, 2009; and there were no complaints until now.'

FIFA announced Monday that there have not been any official complaints lodged about the ball.

And Brueggen said Germany's offensive fireworks against Australia showed criticism of Jabulani is not entirely justified.

'You could see with the German team that you can also play fantastic football and score beautiful goals with Jabulani.'

Brueggen also addressed the criticism coming from a player in adidas' own stall of contracted athletes.

'We at adidas are happy to work with the best football player in the world, Lionel Messi. Of course we do not influence any comments coming from our athletes. We are sure that Lionel Messi will continue to grow accustomed to the ball and continue to perform exemplary at the World Cup,' Brueggen added.

Holland's national team boss van Marwijk was the latest critic of the ball ahead of his team's lacklustre 2-0 victory over Denmark.

'The ball is doing strange things when it's in the air,' said van Marwijk.

'If you can keep it on the ground it's okay. But it can hardly be controlled when you play any diagonal passes. It flutters like wild.'

The Herzogenaurach company adidas has produced the World Cup ball since 1970 and called Jabulani the 'roundest' and 'best' ball ever.

The Jabulani is the first World Cup ball not hand-stitched. It has eight thermally bonded panels, whereas the 2006 ball Teamgeist had 14. Unlike Teamgeist, which was smooth, the 2010 version has a textured surface.

The biggest differences are that the Jabulani is nearer a complete sphere than Teamgeist, and it has tiny ridges on the panels that reduce drag and let the ball hold its pace longer.

An Australian aerodynamics expert expressed before the World Cup that goalkeepers would be facing real challenges once the games started.

'It will be coming at goalkeepers faster and harder and doing a lot of things differently to what is normally expected,' Adelaide University physicist Derek Leinweber said. 'They have to watch that ball all the way in as it's coming into the net.'

Professor Leinweber told public broadcaster ABC that the new ball would reward skill while punishing players who just booted it without regard to its special properties.

'It means that the ball will respond more to any spin that's put on it,' he said. 'So players that are good at putting a bit of spin on the ball, they've a really good chance of surprising the goalkeepers and actually having that ball bend significantly just in that last split second before it arrives at the net.'