The pitch of the San Siro is now the topic of discussion for many pundits and journalists. Yesterday, even Inter's striker Dzeko has claimed that the stadium's field was in a very bad condition, his words were also echoed by the Inter coach.
To clarify the situation today is Giovanni Castelli, agronomist in charge of the turf of the stadium. Here are his statements to La Gazzetta dello Sport a couple of days ago:
"The only real solution is rest. You play too much, the lawn fails to recover despite the maintenance. I understand that the calendars are clogged and there is little space, but at least the stops must be respected: the game and health are at stake."
He added:
"Aesthetically it is not the best, but it respects the Uefa parameters in terms of accident prevention and level of performance. But playing with this frequency, even 24 hours between games, any lawn would suffer. As long as there are two teams that also play the cups in the same stadium, the problem will recur."
On the San Siro:
"The use of the same facility by two teams is a problem not limited to San Siro, as far as Serie A is concerned. San Siro is a pot with a lid: there is little light, little air, an unhealthy environment. In the winter the humidity stagnates, in the summer there is scorching heat. At the Olimpico in Rome, for example, the situation is very different, given that it is an open stadium and there is also an athletics track, allowing more windy conditions."
On the use of hybrid terrains:
"Having a hybrid terrain ensures a series of advantages: the plastic of the synthetic protects the natural grass and is less damaged by the action of the players . But, contrary to what one might think, the maintenance of a mixed pitch is even more difficult , because you have to find a way to make natural and synthetic grass coexist: if you find the right alchemy, then you have an advantage. But a hybrid terrain is not needed everywhere : it is not necessary, for example, where foot traffic is more limited (because perhaps only one team plays), or where natural conditions are more favorable, such as at the Olimpico."
