Paris St-Germain beat the Seattle Sounders 2-0 at Lumen Field Paris St-Germain manager Luis Enrique has criticised the pitches at the Club World Cup and said the "ball bounced like a rabbit" during his side's win against the Seattle Sounders. The match was played at Seattle's Lumen Field, home of MLS side the Sounders and NFL team the Seattle Seahawks, with the stadium's artificial turf replaced with a temporary hybrid grass for the tournament. The Spaniard says football's world governing body Fifa needs to "bear in mind" the quality of both match and training pitches if it wants the Club World Cup to be "the most high-level competition in the world". "I wouldn't imagine a NBA court full of holes," the 55-year-old said after his side won 2-0 to secure top spot in Group B in the tournament, which is being solely hosted in the United States. "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." PSG won the Champions League at the end of May with a dominant victory over Inter Milan in Munich to complete a European and domestic treble. Enrique admitted his team have had to adjust the way they play since their arrival in the US because of pitch conditions. "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," he added. "For our game this 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." This video can not be played Jude Bellingham on Club World Cup pitches There are fewer than 12 months before the Fifa World Cup takes place across Canada, Mexico and United States. Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham also criticised the pitches at the Club World Cup following his side's 3-1 win against Pachuca. "The pitches aren't great at all. It holds up the ball, the ball barely bounces," said the England midfielder. "It's tough on the knees as well. Hopefully there's someone who will look at that going into the World Cup next year." Five of the venues from this year - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Hard Rock Stadium, MetLife Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field and Lumen Field - will also host World Cup matches. All five are used by NFL teams and usually have artificial turf but will have real grass installed in time for the World Cup in order to meet Fifa requirements. The inaugural Club World Cup is not the first time the standard of pitches in the US has caused problems. Players were critical of conditions at last summer's Copa America, with Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saying the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was a "disaster" following a win over Canada. Tournament organiser Conmebol defended the pitches, with director of competitions Fredirico Nantes saying "the grass in Atlanta posed absolutely no threat". The stadium will host eight matches at the World Cup next summer, including one of the semi-finals. The state of the pitches is the latest concern that has been raised at the Club World Cup. There have been concerns about the weather throughout the competition, with extreme heat causing problems for the players. Borussia Dortmund substitutes watched the first half of their win over Mamelodi Sundowns from the dressing room because of the temperature, with their manager Niko Kovac saying conditions were "like a sauna". Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has said his side havestruggled to trainin Philadelphia, as temperatures reached 37C. BBC Sport has contacted Fifa for comment.
'Ball bounces like a rabbit' - Enrique on pitches
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"PSG's Luis Enrique Criticizes Pitch Conditions at Club World Cup"
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TruthLens AI Summary
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) secured a 2-0 victory against the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field, but manager Luis Enrique expressed his dissatisfaction with the pitch conditions during the Club World Cup. He described how the ball's unpredictable bounce resembled that of a rabbit, emphasizing the need for FIFA to consider the quality of both match and training surfaces to enhance the tournament's prestige. Enrique drew a comparison to NBA courts, stating that one would not expect to see a court full of holes, and called for improvements to ensure that the Club World Cup can be regarded as the highest level of competition worldwide. He noted that the temporary hybrid grass at Lumen Field, which replaced the stadium's usual artificial turf, created challenges for his team, making it difficult to maintain their usual style of play. Despite these difficulties, Enrique acknowledged that his team adapted well to the conditions and expressed satisfaction with their performance in the match.
As the tournament progresses, concerns about pitch quality have been echoed by other players as well, including Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham, who criticized the playing conditions following his team's win against Pachuca. He pointed out that the pitches were not conducive to good play, stating that the ball struggled to bounce and that the surface was tough on players' knees. With the FIFA World Cup approaching in less than a year, the state of the pitches has raised alarms, especially since several venues hosting the Club World Cup will also be used in the upcoming World Cup. Organizers are under pressure to ensure that the grass surfaces meet FIFA's standards to avoid the pitfalls experienced in previous tournaments, where players have voiced their frustrations about pitch conditions. The weather has also been a concern, with extreme heat impacting player performance, as noted by various team managers during the competition. As FIFA prepares for the World Cup, the focus on pitch quality will likely remain a critical issue to address.
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