The Premier League reached an agreement with PUMA for the sports manufacturer to become the league’s new ball supplier. They already have supplied the ball for the League Cup which infamously sparked quite the response from Mikel Arteta after Arsenal’s defeat to Newcastle.
Arteta has since gained something of a reputation among rival fan supporters, some even coming up with the chant of, “It must be the ball, it must be the ball, Mikel Arteta, it must be the ball!” Martyn Ziegler of the Times’ headline on the news of PUMA’s new deal described the ball as being something “detested” by the Arsenal manager.
However, what is the truth behind Arteta’s relationship with this football? Well it begins back in 2017 when a then-assistant coach to Pep Guardiola witnessed his boss complain about the then-League Cup ball made by Mitre.
“It is not acceptable, the ball was unacceptable for a high-level competition,” Guardiola said. “It is too light, it moves all over the place, it is not a good ball. It is impossible to score with a ball like that and I can say that because we won, I’m not making excuses.”
Fast forward eight years to the Gunners first leg defeat in the League Cup semi-final to Newcastle at home with the PUMA ball and without provocation, Arteta brought up the ball when asked about his side missing chances during the game. Pressed on how his players could put missed opportunities out of their mind, he made reference to the difficulty with the ball.
“Nothing, just try and show them, give them kicks or tips of what they can do better,” he said. “We also kicked a lot of balls over the bar, and it's tricky that these balls fly a lot so there’s details that we can do better.
“But at the end that’s gone, there’s no way back it's about the next game and that’s our world, the reality is out world.”
The last question of the press conference, asked by Sam Dean of the Telegraph, went back to the reference made by Arteta on the ball. Dean asked for further clarification and reference other complaints made by managers in the past.
“No, it’s just different. Very different to a Premier League ball, and you have to adapt to that because it flies differently, when you touch it the grip is very different as well so you adapt to that.”
This was all Arteta had to say on it, just the way that it moved. But it stuck, and the EFL even released a statement after the press conference including the explanation: “The Puma ball used in this season’s Carabao Cup and in EFL competition since 2021-22 is tested in accordance with the Fifa Quality Programme for Footballs, and meets the Fifa Quality Pro standard.”
Naturally, Arteta was then asked in the next press conference where a different type of ball would be used, the FA Cup, which at the time also had a specialty to it as the Gunners had been drawn against the holders Manchester United. Clearly attuned to the idea of being asked about the ball, Arteta initially snapped back when questioned and said, “Why is it so important?”
Sky reporter Gail Davis clarified the point about it being a “special ball” because United were the holders and asked, it might make a difference? To which Arteta said with a smile: “A good difference?
“In Champions League it’s different, you’re relating to the question I got the other day about the ball and what I said is every ball is different. Champions League ball is different, grip different, fly different, feel different.
“That’s it, it's not an excuse it's a reality every pitch is different. Weather conditions change in football that’s the beauty of it. Never an excuse.”
Two months later, Guardiola would again make complaints about the Mitre ball in the FA Cup, making reference again to both domestic cup competitions balls. He said: “The ball is not proper. I’m sorry.
“For many years it’s happened in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. I know it’s a business and they come to agreements, but the ball is not [good].
“You know how many shots went over the post? Not just Erling [Haaland]’s – look at other games.”
While Arteta has been misrepresented as ‘detesting’ the PUMA ball, there is something being mentioned by more than just one coach regarding the differences in balls made by different companies to the Nike ball in the current Premier League season. Will it become a story for the league next season? Time will tell.