Dunga responds in ball row

Dunga has criticised FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke after the administrator suggested Brazil’s complaints about the official World Cup ball were motivated by fear of failure.

Adidas’ Jabulani ball has provoked widespread debate with elite goalkeepers such as Spain’s Iker Casillas and Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon questioning the quality of the ball and how it behaves in flight.

Brazil striker Luis Fabiano also claimed the Jabulani is “weird” and goalkeeper Julio Cesar was less than complimentary, leading Valcke to respond forcefully to the concerns expressed from within Dunga’s squad on Tuesday.

“It’s a ball which is used by a number of teams, it’s months now since the ball has been put in the market by Adidas,” Valcke said. “And is it Brazil that says that because they are afraid that they will not make it and it will be due to the ball. We will see.”

Speaking on Thursday, Dunga appeared unhappy with Valcke’s stance and claimed the FIFA chief could not understand the concerns as he has not played the game at a professional level.

“He needs to play,” Dunga said. “If he played with the ball he would have a different opinion. He is a guy who never got on the field. I want him to be here in our practice and we will give him the ball to see if he can control it.

“It wasn’t only the Brazilians who complained. Other very successful players are also complaining.”

Perhaps the strongest criticism of the Jabulani has come from USA goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann, who said: “Technology is not everything. Scientists came up with the atom bomb, doesn’t mean we should have invented it.”