Scotland Manager Craig Levein apparently pays keen attention to the equipment that the Scottish National Team uses, and unlike many managers, actually wants to do something about it.
When Scotland take on Spain at Hampden Park next month, Levein will be seeking permission from adidas to use a football that is not a Jabulani.
Levein cites the players opinion on the ball as reason for a change:
The players were complaining about the ball in training,” Levein said.
“You might laugh and say this is an excuse but this isn’t after the game, this is in training before the game. The ball has got a film on it, which means that it sticks. The players wanted the pitch watered to let the ball run across the pitch a bit better.
“We are under contract to adidas but I don’t know if Adidas have another ball we can use. I will ask the question and see what they say.”
Obviously we don’t need to recap the furore that surrounded the Jabulani‘s usage in the World Cup, but it’s very interesting to see the Scottish FA actively trying to get the ball replaced.
As a competitive match between two adidas-sponsored teams, you can bet that adidas won’t be willing to give up the Jabulani without a fight – and we imagine after just winning a World Cup with the oft-maligned football Spain won’t be too happy about it being replaced either.
We also worry about the dangerous precedent this could set for adidas with other national FA’s. If adidas bend to Levein’s suggestion, it could see other managers requesting to change pieces of equipment – which could really damage adidas’ image.
If you were in adidas’ shoes – what would you say to Levein and the SFA? What would be the ideal outcome for both parties?
Get your opinion out there in the comments below!
its a ball
learn to play with it
let them use finale 10 or terrapass they are very good balls i assume. although i have the jabulani and i like it actually.
maybe adidas should start making some quality balls and we wouldnt have this predicament. nobody ever complains about nike balls
Definetely NO!
This is the game sir and your players should be able (as professionals they are supposed to be) to adapt to the emerging technologies applied into this sport we all love.
Besides, whether you agree with what i said or not, it doesn’t matter, there is a further issue that is the contract signed with Adidas, so there’s nothing more to say…
Get a ball non-Jabulani ball that both teams are okay with and print the jabulani design on it. So for all the public knows they’ve still got the same deal.
all im saying is, that maybe adidas should start working towards some better technologies and have players test the balls to see what works better and what is crap. if the majority of the world class players at the world cup gave negative reviews of the ball… maybe its time adidas re-thinksits ball technology
its a ball get over it!
as a scot i am more worried about the fact we struggled to beat a team i couldn’t even point to on a map! (yes am not very good at geography)
i hope this doesn’t affect our sponsorship with adidas! its the first time in years Scotland have a nice kit and it be a shame to lose it because levein wants an excuse!
Soccer is the only sport in the world in which the ball is changed on a annual basis. No other major sport in the world has changed their ball design more than once in a decade.
The ball is not up to world class standards, and I hope Scotland wins there case here. The home FA should be able to use any ball that meets the FIFA specs, which unfortunately do not require any performance testing. If adidas really cared, they would lets team choose and just make the best ball available, rather than being driven by greed to sell the crap ball they made for the world cup.
And to the “i have it and it is good” that is riddiculus, this ball is well documents to have complaints from every level and probably 10 times the complaints of any previous ball ever had. Just because you like it does not mean it isn’t a problem
i agree…adidas need to develop a better ball. i can’t stand the Jabulani. at this point in time i prefer Nike balls.
the Jabulani does tend to stick to your boot and it’s flight isn’t true. we use it in training and every opportunity i get, i pull out my Nike ball to play with.
Bring back the TANGO and then everyone will be happy!!!!!!!!
please
mann you know they should try kicking around a ball made of plastic bags! a ball is a ball and fact is that so many people are in poverty in places like Africa and they play with what they have and they DONT complain!! maybe they can change the ball, but why make it a huge scene for the media?!
FALSE go play with the juba then go play with the nike arrow. The juba knuckles all over the place. The arrow glides straight through the air. Half the goals in the WC were jokes because the ball knuckles on accident, the guy shooting it was trying to make it knuckle. It is because the material is wack.
poor excuse from a poor football nation. the jubilani was used in the last world cup and altho people (especialy goalkeepers) had a moan, they got on with it.what else would levein want, a 2 goal headstart. what do call a scottish man at a major football tournament?
ref