Aston Villa keen to see controversial Jabulani ball kicked out

Aug 3 2010 by Mat Kendrick, Birmingham Mail

MARTIN O’Neill hopes the controversial Jabulani will not be used in Villa’s competitive matches after likening it to a punctured fly-away ball.

During the Guadiana Cup, Villa had their first experience of the lightweight ball, which was highly criticised during the World Cup in South Africa.

Manufactured by adidas, the ball has eight spherically moulded panels and a textured surface intended to improve aerodynamics.

But the Jabulani, which was designed at Loughborough University, has been slammed for unpredictably changing direction in the air.

There was evidence of that for at least one of Benfica’s goals in Sunday night’s 4-1 victory over Villa in the deciding Guadiana Cup match.

And O’Neill hopes any proposals to introduce it to the Premier League, domestic cup competitions or the Europa League should be scrapped.