Buffon and Casillas concern over World Cup ball

(GSM) – Gianluigi Buffon and Iker Casillas have slammed the new World Cup ball ‘Jabulani’. “It’s a bit like a beach ball.”

Earlier Brazil goal keeper Julio Cesar and England stopper Joe Hart raised their concerns over the new World Cup ball and now Italy and Spain goalkeepers joined the chorus of disapproval.

“So far preparations are going well, apart from one negative aspect that I feel the need to underline, just as my colleagues have done before me,” Buffon said.

“I am referring to the football that is used in all the games for this tournament.

“The new model is absolutely inadequate and I think it is shameful that such an important competition as a World Cup with so many champions should be played with a ball like that,” the Juve stopper criticized the Jabulani.

“As for the rest, even if people don’t consider us to be favourites, I remain optimistic. After all, we are still the world champions,” he said.

Spain are one of the favorites at the World Cup this summer in South Africa but skipper Casillas is unhappy with the World Cup ball.

“It’s a bit like a beach ball,” the Spain goalie was quoted as telling Spanish media on Sunday.

“It is truly sad that we have to play in a World Cup with such a horrendous ball,” the goalkeeper Casillas commented after his side’s 3-2 warm-up win against Saudi Arabia.