Better playing surfaces are helping to improve the standard of play in Europe and, as this article by Engelbert Strauss confirms, those responsible for maintaining grounds have made considerable progress.
“Innovation is increasingly important in the area of pitch quality,” explains Lee Guerreiro, turf specialist in UEFA’s Football Operations Unit. “Hybrid or reinforced pitches and most technologies have a huge impact on the quality of play.”
These modern surfaces, which combine artificial grass and natural grass, help reduce wear and tear over the course of a season. As Guerreiro explains: “When you see high-level football pitches on TV these days, it’s very rare to see the portion in front of the goal totally peeled (…) like in the 90s, so this technology has already improved playing conditions significantly.”
“The equipment used by groundskeepers: the mowers, the light therapy that we can provide to a lot to promote growing conditions, the types of fertilizers, products and seeds, all of this is significantly improved and helps groundskeepers deliver higher quality grounds. »
“Demands and expectations have increased considerably in football,” admits Stefano Meli, an independent agronomist, whose responsibilities with local authorities in Florence include the turf of Fiorentina’s Artemio Franchi stadium. Technology has made some parts of his job easier, but there’s still a lot to do to make sure the pitches are on top.
As he shows the UEFA camera the work done by his team the day following a Fiorentina match, he explains: “The first job was done by hand: topping and fixing the pitch, then we used the machines to remove the dry and damaged grass. Then we used bo-stimulant treatments to restore the plants, allowing them to take root and be stronger”.
After a quick cut of the grass, the pitch elements are put back in place, new lines are drawn, the flags are replaced and the Meli pitches are ready for use once more.
Guerreiro’s job is to ensure that all pitches used for UEFA competition matches are maintained to the same standard.
He explains: “The aesthetics of the pitch are important to us, the appearance of the pitch for spectators and on television, as it clearly represents the club, UEFA, the city and the brand of the competition.”
However, while modern technology helps raise the bar, Guerreiro acknowledges that there are new issues. “Climate change is a major issue for us,” he explains. “We’ve had extremely hot summers and very cold winters, which really impacts the work of groundskeepers. We must try to support them as much as possible in these difficult processes. »