June 25 – In the latest criticism of the Club World Cup, Paris St-Germain manager Luis Enrique took aim at the pitches, saying the “ball bounced like a rabbit” following his club’s victory against the Seattle Sounders.
The European champions confirmed their spot in the last 16 of the tournament with a routine win against the MLS side, but Enrique voiced his dismay about the pitch conditions at the Lumen Field in Seattle, which serves as the home for Sounders and the Seattle Seahawks, an NFL franchise.
For the Club World Cup, a hybrid graas pitch replaced the stadium’s artificial turf.
Enrique was not please with the “quality” of the pitch and said: “I wouldn’t imagine an NBA court full of holes. What I really care about is the state of the field of play, and I say this on the day we’ve won.
“The ball bounces almost like if it were jumping around like a rabbit.”
With soaring temperatures across the US, great travel distances and different pitches, clubs have had to adjust to the circumstances, including PSG.
Enrique continued: “Lumen Field is an example, it used to be artificial turf and now it is natural grass and they have to water it by hand – they did so at half-time but the field was dry again in 10 minutes.”
“For our game this is a problem. It’s very different to European pitches. The grass is different and therefore it is not so easy to have the same smoothness to play our style – but we did adapt well and we’re very happy.”
Enrique echoed the concerns of Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham who previously criticised the pitches. The United States will co-host the 2026 World Cup, the first global finals to be played in a 48-team format. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Hard Rock Stadium, MetLife Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field and Lumen Field which serve as five of the 12 venues at the Club World Cup, will also stage matches next year.
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