Totti: Ball too hard
The Roma ace does not concur with the view that the silver adidas 'Roteiro' model suits the strikers better than the goalkeepers and says most in the Italian camp are not happy with it. "It's too hard," said Totti. "It's not true what some people say, that this ball is better for the strikers than for the goalkeepers. "It's too hard and it doesn't rebound that well." The Azzurri are the latest to voice their concerns over the ball ahead of the tournament which starts in a week's time. Czech Republic coach Karel Bruckner criticised the ball after his side's recent 6-0 friendly win over Austrian amateur side Tyrolia. "I must say that it is another game with this kind of ball. It is a big change for the players. "This ball could be good just for the players of Real Madrid who play with short one-metre passes. But our players have problems controlling it with long passes. "We will have to learn new habits and we will probably change our playing system." There were mixed reviews when the ball was first introduced, with most of Spain's players highly critically of it after the 2-1 friendly win over Peru in February. Ivan Helguera called it a 'beach ball'. "I don't like it at all. To send it where you want you really have to hit it hard." Teammate and Real Betis striker Joaquin said: "It's hard to believe they can call this a ball. It lifts a lot and doesn't follow a true line." However, England skipper David Beckham declared himself a fan of the ball a long time ago. He said: "The most important thing for me is to know that I can rely on the ball to go exactly where I want it to go. "The new Roteiro reacts very well to my foot. I've noticed that the accuracy of my corners, my passing and, of course, my freekicks improved. Keepers are going to have a very tough time."