Euro 2004 match ball panned as players split over seams

AS kick-off for Euro 2004 approaches, the new seamless ball which will be used during the tournament is being criticised by a number of players.

"The ball is strange. We have all discussed it and we feel the same way," Greek midfielder Vassilis Tsartas said at the team's training camp.

He complained it was impossible to hit a target with a long pass.

Czech Republic coach Karel Bruckner echoed his concerns.

"This ball could be good for the players of Real Madrid who play with short passes. Our players have problems controlling it with long passes," he said.

"We will have to learn new habits and we will probably have to change our playing system."

German sports-goods maker adidas has supplied more than 2,300 balls for matches and training sessions during the 16-nation championship which begins on Saturday.

The company claims the silver ball, named the "Roteiro" after the diaries of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, is faster because of its stitchless surface.

It is not the first time a ball designed for a major tournament has come under fire by players.

At the 2002 World Cup held in Japan and South Korea, many players, especially keepers, blasted the Fevernova, the official Adidas ball, for being too light and swerving too much. Players also faulted the adidas balls in the '94 and '98 World Cups. However, Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon insists the Roteiro ball is "worse" than the one used in the 2002 World Cup.

"The effects are very strange and it reacts in unexpected ways. It even has a strange colour," he said.

The Italian squad is one of the sharpest critics of the ball. Midfielder Andrea Pirlo said it reminded him of plastic balls used by children.

Star striker Francesco Totti added: "It is hard and despite what some people say, it does not benefit attackers."

But the ball counts as fans some of the world's best players, including England's David Beckham and France's Zinedine Zidane.

"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," said Beckham after the ball was launched earlier this year.

"It is great to kick and it's going to be a great ball to play with.

"Keepers are going to have a very tough time," the Real Madrid star, who has a sponsorship deal with Adidas, added.

Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Manchester United, said he is unfazed by the new ball.

"It is faster than other balls and curves more, but I believe it is a matter of getting used to it.

"For me any ball will do," he added.