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Adidas hit back Monday at criticism that the World Cup ball is difficult to control and a nightmare for goalkeepers, stressing that it was widely tested and approved long ago.

Company spokesman Thomas van Schaik said he was surprised to hear the critical comments, made by top goalkeepers such as Spain’s Iker Casillas and Brazil’s Julio Cesar, because the “Jabulani” balls had been used for months without any complaints.

“We started using it in December in a wide