The English Football League (EFL) has hit back at Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s criticism of the Carabao Cup ball.
This follows their 2-0 loss to Newcastle in the semi-final first leg at the Emirates on Tuesday.
Arteta had raised concerns about the Puma ball used in the competition, claiming it “flies different” and lacks the grip of the Premier League ball.
Reflecting on Arsenal’s performance, where they recorded 23 shots but failed to score, Arteta said:
“We kicked a lot of balls over the bar, and it’s tricky that these balls fly a lot… It’s very different to a Premier League ball, and you have to adapt to that because it flies different. When you touch it, the grip is very different as well.”
However, the EFL dismissed Arteta’s complaints, stating that the ball meets FIFA’s Quality Pro standard and has been used successfully in other major leagues, such as Serie A and La Liga, as well as EFL competitions. An EFL spokesperson added:
“All Clubs play with the same ball, and we have received no further comments of this nature following any of the previous 88 fixtures which have taken place in this season’s Carabao Cup.”
