Adidas defends its World Cup ball

Adidas boss Herbert Hainer defended his firm’s controversial Jabulani World Cup ball on Monday, saying that players, including Argentina star Lionel Messi, were getting used to it.

Speaking at a press conference to present his company’s results, Hainer acknowledged that the Jabulani was “rounder than any ball we have ever made, more aerodynamic and goes faster.”

This was especially the case at high altitude, he added, where “the air is thinner and the ball even quicker.”

But he said that the Jabulani ball — slammed by England coach Fabio Capello as the worst he had ever seen — had been rigorously tested and that teams had had since the beginning of the year to train with them.

Even Barcelona star Messi “needed a little bit of time but he eventually got used to the ball, even at altitude,” said Hainer.

The ball has also been blamed for a litany of goalkeeping howlers during the World Cup.

Nevertheless, the group expects to sell some 13 million Jabulani balls, said Markus Baumann, head of the Adidas football unit.