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Feb.27,2005 -Mar.6,2005 |
Real grass may be turfed
Italian soccer federation considering use of artificial surfaces
By Mehrdad Masoudi
Originally Published: 2005-02-13
Some Serie A matches could be played on synthetic pitches as early as next season, the Italian soccer federation (FIGC) declared recently.
"We need to establish whether or not the latest synthetic playing surfaces affect the performances of the players, but if they meet with their approval I think an artificial pitch could be used next season," said FIGC president Franco Carraro on the federation's website.
Last November UEFA, European soccer's governing body, lifted its ban on the use of artificial pitches for its international club competitions, and now several European leagues are considering the use of artificial surfaces for domestic matches.
UEFA's decision to lift its ban came after two years of experiments on synthetic pitches in five different countries - Holland, Russia, Scotland, Austria and Sweden - where harsh winters can cause problems for natural surfaces.
Tests proved that the surfaces were suitable for competitive matches and were a vast improvement on the early "plastic" pitches that were introduced in the 1980s.
Carraro added that San Siro, the ground shared by the two Milan clubs, AC and Inter, could benefit from having a synthetic playing surface, given the problems they've had in the past.
"UEFA's decision is based on the notion that it is better to play on a good, artificial pitch than on a poor, natural one."
AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has welcomed the idea. "With technology so far advanced, synthetic pitches are very close to the real thing, but you don't have to worry about maintenance and bad weather," he said.
"These pitches have no holes or bumps, and the ball runs smoothly on them. It's perfect for the technical players who like to pass the ball around."
Up until December, there were 137 synthetic pitches in use across Italy and another 109 pitches being put into place. Montreal-based Field-turf is a leading international firm in producing synthetic pitches using the latest technology to make artificial grass feel like the real green version.
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