Club World Cup pitches exposed

Coach Luis Enrique severely criticized the pitch of the Club World Cup.

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup™ has yet to truly capture the hearts of fans, and not just because of the sparse stands, the stifling weather or the immigration controversy. Now, it is the pitch – a seemingly basic and obvious factor that must be up to standard – that has become the focus of criticism. And the one who “sounded the alarm” is none other than Luis Enrique.

After PSG’s 2-0 victory over Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field in the early morning of June 24, the Spanish coach could not hide his dissatisfaction. He opened the press conference not with pride about the ticket to the round of 16, but with a sarcastic comment: “On this pitch, the ball bounces like a rabbit.”

It was not just a funny saying. Behind it was a series of serious problems that he wanted to expose.

“Today we won, but that doesn’t change the fact that the pitch is not up to the standard of a top tournament. It was an artificial pitch, now it’s natural grass, so you have to water it manually. They do it at half-time, but after 10 minutes it’s dry. You can’t play at the level you want on a pitch like that.”

Luis Enrique did not blame the result – he had won, PSG had gone through – but used the victory as a platform to point out a truth: even without defeat, he still felt the need to speak out. “I am not making excuses here. I am speaking for the quality of football, out of respect for the players and for the fans.”

Luis Enrique is worried about his players when they have to play on bad pitches.

Not stopping at the playing field, Enrique expanded his sights to the practice courts - where teams prepare, recover and maintain their form. With a sharp image, he compared: "Can you imagine an NBA basketball court with potholes? But we are playing on courts where the ball bounces like an animal."

That is not an exaggeration. It is a serious warning. If FIFA does not guarantee the minimum conditions such as the quality of the pitch, then do not expect the quality of the matches to match.

Clearly, the Club World Cup - despite being reformed to become more attractive - is still struggling with the problem of organization. From geographical location, logistics, to professional factors, this tournament has yet to prove that it is worthy of being a "global playground" for elite clubs.

Luis Enrique also did not hesitate to mock the tight schedule: “Every two years? Every two months would be more appropriate!” - a sarcastic remark aimed at FIFA’s expansion ambitions. With the tight schedule, event after event, he asked the question: who is thinking about the players?

“They are not machines. Without the necessary breaks, the quality of football will go down. And if football loses its quality, then the reason for the audience to love it is lost,” Luis Enrique shared.

Luis Enrique may be the first to publicly “turn on” FIFA at this tournament, but he certainly won’t be the last. The pitches, the fixtures, and the way modern football operates like a giant, impersonal machine – all need to be spoken about, analysed and reformed.

And when a coach has just won a match and speaks out so strongly, it is no longer a normal complaint, but an alarm bell from within the very people who are keeping beautiful football alive.

Source: https://znews.vn/mat-san-club-world-cup-bi-boc-tran-post1563225.html