Going To Quarter-Finals, Manchester City Complains About The Ball At The FA Cup

Pep Guardiola criticized the ball in the FA Cup (Instagram/@petteam).

JAKARTA - Pep Guardiola said the ball used in the FA Cup was "inaccurate" after Manchester City's team struggled in front of goal against Plymouth Argyle which ended in a 3-1 victory on Sunday, March 2, 2025.

Manchester City fired 29 shots against the Championship team. However, they need two goals from a set piece situation - both scored by teenager Nico O'Reliance - as they came back from 0-1 behind.

Kevin De Bruyne confirmed victory with a close-range finish in injury time. Of the 29 Citizens' shots, only nine were on target with 10 blocked and 10 more went wide.

"It's hard to control (the ball). Over the years, many players and managers have said that."

"When you lose it (it sounds like) you complain but the ball is not right."

"Over the years it happened in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. I know it's business and they reached an agreement."

"Do you know how many shots bounced over the post? Just look at the other matches," said Guardiola.

A FA spokesman immediately opened his voice responding to criticism about the ball used in the tournament.

"The Ultimax Pro Mitre Ball - which is used in the FA Cup and all FA tournaments - has been tested according to FIFA testing."

"All balls in professional play are required to meet the accreditation of the FIFA Quality Pro. This ball meets all testing requirements."

"Together with Mitre, we understand that preferences are subjective, but we believe the ball performs well."

"With more than 350 goals scored in the knockout system tournament so far, it provides an interesting element in such a competitive tournament," said the FA spokesman.

Apart from Guardiola, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta also criticized the ball used in the Carabao Cup after Arsenal lost 0-2 at home to Newcastle United.

His team fired 23 shots in the semifinal first leg at the Emirates in January 2025, but only three hit the target. This prompted the Spaniard to say "the ball was far away".

"I've been saying it for years. There are things that are out of our control. I've expressed my opinion."

"Bolla di Liga Champions luar biasa, bola di Liga Inggris luar biasa, yang ini (Piala FA) tidak," ujar Guardiola.

For information, the ball used in the Carabao Cup is produced by Puma and the FA Cup ball is made by Mitre. The Premier League ball is made by Nike and the ball used in the Champions League is made by Adidas.