Pep Guardiola may have to have a word with Manchester City sponsors after the Premier League announced a change for next season. Ending a 25-year association with Nike, the competition will use Puma balls from the start of the 2025/26 season after agreeing a new deal with the shirt sponsors of the Blues and teams within the City Football Group.
As well as their close association with City, Puma also have a long-standing deal with Guardiola himself after he became a brand ambassador in 2019. The manager is regularly seen in Puma gear as part of both his deal and City's, with the club partnership running until 2029.
However, Puma balls have been under scrutiny for this season after their use in the league cup. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta put some of the shortcomings of his side in their defeat to Newcastle due to being unable to get to grips with the differences between the Puma ball and the Nike and Adidas versions used in the Premier League and Champions League respectively.
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Guardiola criticised the Mitre ball used in the FA Cup after City had 20 shots off target in their 3-1 win over Plymouth earlier this month, and seemed to include the league cup call in his comments.
“The ball is not proper. I’m sorry. For many years it’s happened in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup," he said. "I know it’s a business and they come to agreements, but the ball is not [good].
"You know how many shots went over the post? Not just Erling [Haaland]’s – look at other games."
Guardiola's inclusion of the league cup may go back to 2017, when he described the Mitre ball used in that competition as 'unacceptable' and added: "It is not a serious ball for a professional game."
Those comments sparked a defence of the ball from the EFL and the Premier League will expect the highest standard from Puma as they implement the change from next season. If Guardiola has an issue with the new balls being used, at least he should be able to contact Puma directly to give his thoughts.
