The EFL has defended the ball criticised by Pep Guardiola and called for talks with Manchester City’s manager to discuss the issue.
Guardiola branded the Mitre ball as “highly unacceptable” following City’s 4-1 penalty shootout win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup last-16 tie at the Etihad Stadium. He complained that it was “too light, it moves all over the place” and that it was “impossible to score with”.
In a statement the EFL said: “The Mitre ball used in this season’s Carabao Cup is of exactly the same technical specification as the balls used in the Sky Bet EFL and Checkatrade Trophy, all of which are tested in accordance with the ‘Fifa Quality Programme for Footballs’ and meet the ‘Fifa Quality Pro’ standard.
“All balls used in the professional game are required to meet this standard. Clearly, preference is a subjective matter, but overall the entertainment provided across last night’s round-four ties would suggest that the ball used is not having a negative impact in the competition.
“We will look to engage with Mr Guardiola and Manchester City to fully understand any concerns in advance of their round-five tie.”
Yaya Touré, who took one of City’s penalties, was also scathing about the ball. “I don’t like it to be honest,” he said. “They can do better than that. It’s too light. Even in my country they can’t use those kind of balls. I think they have to be better than that because the ball was too soft. It’s rubbish but that’s fine.
“A lot of players were complaining. The FA can try to do something because we just want to enjoy it. It’s difficult to play with these kind of balls but we try to find a way. It’s everything. Shooting – the ball is very light, when you touch it, it’s floating, it’s rubbish. And in this [rainy] weather it’s difficult.”
Mitre also issued a statement addressing the controversy, highlighting how teams receive balls in advance of matches.
“We’re passionate about the game and obsessed about everything related to ball technology,” it said. “We work with professional players and clubs to develop and test our pro balls and independent testing by EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology).
“We totally appreciate that all balls feel different and that’s why we made sure competing teams were sent balls well ahead of the tournament for training.”