Heavy rain in Madrid over the past few days left the pitch at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium in a soggy state, impacting the Champions League quarter-final clash between Real Madrid and Arsenal. The weather conditions appeared to have a significant influence on the game, which ended in a 2-0 defeat for Arsenal. As players struggled to maintain their footing, Arsenal's Leah Williamson slipped, leading to Real Madrid's opening goal.
Arsenal manager Renee Slegers expressed her views on the choice of venue, stating that it was not her place to criticize the decision not to use the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. The decision, she noted, was made by the club. Meanwhile, UEFA is attempting to ensure the best possible conditions for the tournament. However, the heavy rain left the Alfredo Di Stefano pitch cut up, further complicating matters for both teams.
The conditions seemed to have affected Arsenal's gameplay significantly, with Ian Wright branding the pitch a "disgrace" following their defeat.
"This is worse than Derby's pitch the other day. This is a ****** disgrace the pitches these girls have to play on," Ian Wright commented.
The men's team has not played at the newly-developed Santiago Bernabeu Stadium since March 9 and will not return until March 29, leaving questions about why this iconic venue was unavailable for such a crucial match.
Renee Slegers mentioned that discussions about the pitch conditions occurred with players before the game.
"We spoke about it with the players before the game," Slegers stated.
Despite being aware of the poor field conditions, Slegers acknowledged that it was challenging to adapt their usual playing style under such circumstances.
"We knew the condition of the pitch. So we had a plan for it but then it's always hard, because over a season and over time you work on things, and you have an identity the way you want to do things," she added.
Real Madrid midfielder Melanie Leupolz also suffered a knee issue after kicking the surface, limping off in tears with what looked like a serious injury. The impact of the substandard pitch was evident as Arsenal managed just one shot on target during the game.
Anton Toloui echoed similar sentiments to Wright regarding the pitch's quality.
"This pitch is barely enough for Sunday league never mind a Champions League quarter-final," Toloui remarked.
Leave a Reply