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Club World Cup pitches are 'not so good'

Club World Cup pitches are 'not so good'

BBC News13 hours ago
Chelsea captain Reece James has repeated Jude Bellingham's calls in urging Fifa and the United States to improve the quality of pitches.The defender said the pitches are "not so good" and highlighted difficult weather conditions, echoing comments made by Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham, who said the surfaces are "not good at all" last month. James has been at the Club World Cup in the US and is in line to return there with England for next summer's World Cup."It's difficult pitches, a difficult climate," James said before Chelsea take on Palmeiras in the quarter-final (kick-off 02:00 BST on Saturday)."The ball goes 100 feet in the air and it bounces one metre up. It's not what we're used to. I feel you get a lot leggier, quicker, playing on pitches that are not so good. It's not just for us, it's for everyone involved."For the fans and the people watching, it would be better quality if the pitches were more acclimatised for us."He added: "It's obviously difficult, playing in the conditions, the climate, on pitches that are not as good as pitches in Europe. No-one is used to this heat. We travel so often - everywhere is two hours minimum on a plane. It's quite unusual to us. But I'm happy to be coping pretty well so far."When asked, Fifa responded: "Fifa can confirm the playability characteristics of pitches used at the Club World Cup remain within the optimal range set by international testing standards."Fifa continues to monitor key performance indicators, such as surface hardness, traction and ball roll. While acknowledging that grass type and climate differ in different parts of the world, adjustments are made in real time based on weather conditions, pitch usage, and match schedules to ensure high-quality playing surfaces and prioritise player safety across all venues."Fifa always values direct feedback from players and coaches. In some cases, this has led to adaptive measures - such as pitch irrigation during cooling breaks - being introduced for the first time under Fifa protocol to support optimal ball movement in warmer conditions."Multiple sources have said pitches at next summer's World Cup should be better, with more time given for them to "bed-in" at stadiums after artificial American football surfaces are converted to grass pitches.
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