{"id":53800,"date":"2025-06-24T13:05:11","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T13:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/?p=53800"},"modified":"2025-06-24T13:05:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T13:05:11","slug":"psg-manager-luis-enrique-joins-criticism-of-club-world-cup-pitches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/news\/psg-manager-luis-enrique-joins-criticism-of-club-world-cup-pitches\/","title":{"rendered":"PSG Manager Luis Enrique Joins Criticism Of Club World Cup Pitches"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paris St-Germain boss Luis Enrique has become the latest to complain about the quality of Club World Cup pitches.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spanish manager Enrique, 55, described the ball as ‘bouncing like a rabbit’ as his side beat Seattle Sounders.<\/p>\n

The game took place at Seattle’s Lumen Field. Home to both the Sounders and NFL franchise, the Seattle Seahawks, the artificial surface had been replaced with a hybrid grass pitch for the Club World Cup.<\/p>\n

But with erratic ball movement and irregular bounces, Enrique has warned FIFA about the quality of playing surfaces.<\/p>\n

He says that for the Club World Cup to be considered\u00a0“the most high-level competition in the world”, FIFA should “bear in mind” the pitch quality.<\/p>\n

Luis Enrique Unhappy With Club World Cup Pitches<\/h2>\n

Speaking after his side’s 2-0 Group B victory, Enrique said:\u00a0“I wouldn’t imagine a NBA court full of holes.<\/p>\n

“What I really care about is the state of the field of play, and I say this on the day we’ve won.<\/p>\n

“The ball bounces almost like if it were jumping around like a rabbit.”<\/p>\n

His Paris Saint-Germain side thrashed Inter Milan in Munich to win the Champions League in May.<\/p>\n

But the Spaniard said the players have had to adapt to conditions in the US.<\/p>\n

“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,” added Enrique.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

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\ud83d\udde3\ufe0f Luis Enrique: "What matters is the state of the pitch. And I say that today, even though we won, we're a long way from European stadiums. \ud83c\udfdf\ufe0f<\/p>\n

We can't play at the level we want to. I can't imagine an NBA court with holes. We play in stadiums where the ball looks more like a\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/Xe86VRFYG8<\/a><\/p>\n

— Football Talk (@FootballTalkHQ) June 24, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n