Ivory Coast

The new matchball for the World Cup – the Adidas ‘Jabulani’ – has come in for heavy criticism from players both before and during the tournament with accusations it deviates too much in the air and is too light overall.

Goalkeepers have been among the most vocal of those speaking out against the new ball with Australia stopper Mark Schwarzer, England star David James and Italy number one Gianluigi Buffon all criticising it in the build-up to the competition (Italy 5/1 to beat New Zealand 3-0).

And now Eriksson says in future, when new balls are developed, the top goalkeepers should be consulted over how it fares in practice before big tournaments.

“It’s too late to do something about it in this World Cup,” said the Ivory Coast coach.

“It’s a decision for the authorities for the next big tournament. It should be discussed and everyone should listen to the top goalkeepers in the world.”

The new ball, which was part-developed at Loughborough University before its release, has been defended by FIFA while manufacturer Adidas insist it meets all the relevant criteria and was put through all the standard testing procedures.

The ball was made available to the various FAs around the world at the start of 2010 but it was not used in the English Premier League due to the ongoing contract it has with rival Nike.

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