FIFA UPDATE
Pitch testing in Lodz
Players with transfer values running to tens of millions of pounds, euros or dollars who play and train on some of the best pitches on the planet expect the same standards when they come to a World Cup
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John Mantrip from Tottenham shows how mowing should be done
issues with this mindset is host countries opting for training sites outside the professional game that provide a lower starting infrastructure. Alan explained: “The game has moved on significantly in the past six years or so, with many of the players eligible to play in this tournament already making their full debuts in the world’s major leagues. Players with transfer values running to tens of millions of pounds, euros or dollars who play and train on some of the best pitches on the planet expect the same standards when they come to a World Cup. We need to provide that for them because the tournament should be valued by everyone involved.”
“The process of pitch selection has been one of the areas we’ve become more involved in since the recent restructure. Very often, the entire selection of training sites has been dictated by the location and quality of the hotel for the teams. FIFA
guidelines for selection of training sites currently states training pitches should be no more than a 20-minute drive by coach. I’ve been heavily involved with the tournaments in Poland and France, and pitch options in several cities were limited.” “Sometimes, we’ll drive past pitches in- between venues that are better than what we’ve just looked at, so we’re looking at extending the radius time up to 30-minutes. The initial selection of sites now involves the bid evaluation team, FIFA accommodation, FIFA team services and the pitch team. The input from all four teams gets considered and, hopefully, it’ll lead to the most practical choices being made.”
Once the final selection of training sites has been made, there is a full inspection of the pitches that are going to be used. This is now a very detailed inspection involving FIFA’s lead consultants, iTurf Management Limited, under the watchful eye of chief
The Lodz Stadium ahead of the U-20 World Cup 42 PC October/November 2019
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