SPOR TS TURF &A LLIED PRODUC TS
Estadio Omnilife in Zapopan, north-west of Guadalajara. Chivas Guadalajara’shome ground,which wascomplet- ed just last summer, has aptly been nicknamed“the vol- cano”: the 45,500-seater stadium is almost invisible from outside as it is sunk in acrater. Only the roof,which hangs spectacularly above the grass-covered crater like acloud,gives anyindication of the intended use of this very futuristic structure. The venue’s playing surface is just as innovative as its
architecture, featuring astate-of-the-artFootball Turf pitch. Estadio Omnilife is one of the latest additions to the list of more than 600 Football Turf pitches worldwide to have received FIFA certification.
FIFA Quality Concept for Football Turf Theincreasing acceptanceofsuch high-qualityFootball Turf pitches is hardly surprising: they are robust, weath- er-resistant, low-maintenance, and do not require any regeneration. As aresult,inaddition to clubs and stadium operators,communities and schools arealso catching on to the advantages of the latest generation of Football Turf, whose playability is the equal of nat- ural grass in almost every respect. This high level of acceptance
is largely down to the FIFA QualityConcept forFootball Turf,which since2001 has setreliable global quality standards forFootball Turf pitches. One of the key ele- ments of this successful concept is the FIFA REC- OMMENDED quality mark, which is awarded to pitch- es that have passed two phases of intensive testing, conductedbyindependent
test institutes, which include laboratory analyses and field testing. Very high standards are set, with natural turf in top condi-
tion providing the benchmark. Thepitch at Estadio Omnilifehas been awarded the FIFA RECOMMENDED
SPR IN G 20 11
2STARqualitymark; aFootball Turf pitch standardthat meets the very highestdemands of professional and elite football. Since 2004, this standard has been a com- plement to the FIFA RECOMMENDED 1 STAR standard for amateur and grassroots football. It is permitted to use FIFA RECOMMENDED Football Turf pitches to stage inter- national matches.
Peace of Mind from Start to Finish The technical attributes of the product are one thing, but the final acquisition of an installed pitch quite another. With this in mind,aspartofthe QualityConcept,FIFA launched the Preferred Producer programme in 2009 to offer buyers a comprehensive quality guarantee. To be accepted into the programme,Football Turf
producers must satisfy each and every one of the instal- lation criteria and already have experience in imple- menting the FIFA Quality Concept for Football Turf. Producers arealso required to provide ahigh level of serviceand areobliged to continuously develop existing Football Turf
concepts.For the buyer,choosing aFIFA Preferred Producer is simple and safe, since they only need to coordinate with one service provider, who ensures the highest level of qualityand offers peaceof mind from start to finish—from planning and installa- tion to regular maintenance.
Green in Every Sense The architects of Estadio Omnilife were keen to ensure that the stadium would connect with nature and be well adapted to its
surroundings.The green surroundings served as inspiration and resulted in water consumption, energy, air quality and urban planning becoming key cri- teria in the project. It wasalmost inevitable,therefore, thatthe playing
surfacewould be Football Turf; giventhatitdoes not need to be watered and maintenancecosts arelower than for natural grass. Furthermore, regardless of weath- er conditions, perfect playing conditions are guaranteed. Along-termpartnership has been startedbetween
the environmental protection authorityEPEA and Desso Sports Systems,one of FIFA’sfivePreferred Producers, which carried out the Football Turf installation at Estadio Omnilife, thus ensuring that environmental factors were taken into account on a whole new level.
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