Pep Guardiola joins Arteta to slam 'poor' FA Cup balls after 20 shots off target

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has added his voice to the growing criticism of the footballs used in England's domestic cup competitions.

The Manchester City coach's comments came after his side's 3-1 FA Cup victory over Plymouth, where City had 20 shots off target, highlighting his frustration with the Mitre balls used in the competition.

Guardiola compared the ball in the FA Cup unfavorably with those used in the Champions League and Premier League. He made these comments as quoted by the BBC:

The ball in the Champions League is exceptional, the ball in the Premier League is exceptional, this one isn't. It's difficult to control.

Guardiola’s frustration stems from the number of inaccurate shots during City’s FA Cup clash. He pointed out that the ball used in these domestic cups often leads to errors in shooting, saying:

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.

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His comments echo those made by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta earlier in the season when the Spaniard expressed his displeasure over the ball used in the EFL Cup.

Mikel Arteta's comments about the FA Cup balls

Arteta had been ridiculed for blaming the ball after his side’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-final, in which Arsenal had 23 shots but only three on target.

At the time, Arteta said:

We kicked a lot of balls over the bar, and it's tricky that these balls fly a lot.

The balls used in different competitions, according to a BBC report, are manufactured by different brands: Mitre for the FA Cup, Puma for the EFL Cup, Nike for the Premier League, and Adidas for the Champions League. Despite Guardiola’s complaints, a Football Association spokesperson defended the Mitre Ultimax Pro ball, which is FIFA-tested and meets the required standards.

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The FA representative stated, Mitre's Ultimax Pro ball... has been tested in accordance with Fifa testing, adding that the ball is a subjective preference but has performed well with over 350 goals scored in the FA Cup this season.

Interestingly, despite Guardiola’s criticism, several Premier League sides had a higher percentage of shots on target during their FA Cup matches than in their respective league games.

Nevertheless, the ongoing debate about the suitability of these balls continues to spark discussion, with managers like Guardiola and Arteta both questioning the effect on their teams’ performances in crucial cup ties.

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