The club World Cup, currently disputed in the United States, is not unanimous among players. If Jude Bellingham was one of the most direct after Real Madrid's victory against Pachuca (3-1), he is not the only one to point the finger at difficult play conditions.
“The heat is crazy. It's very difficult to play with it, but it's the same for all teams, so it's like that ”dropped the English environment, visibly upset.
Besides the stifling temperature, it is above all the quality of the land that is debated. “” The balloons bounce badly, the lawns are of poor quality. It's sincerely difficult “continued Bellingham. Several other executives of the tournament, interviewed since the start of the competition, have spoke more of these inconveniences, notably on the side of Borussia Dortmund and FC Porto.
“A different lawn from those found in Europe”
The refrain has been returning since the start of the club World Cup, especially on the lawn of the Metlife Stadium, in East Rutherford, near New York. “It is a different lawn from those found in Europe, Launched Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac. JI had the impression that the terrain was a bit soft, not dry enough. The ball was not going as fast as we are used to. ”
This observation is also shared by the coach of FC Porto.
“I have the impression that the lawn made us miss precision, especially in the first period when we had several frank opportunities, regretted Martin Anselmi.
And when we wanted to accelerate the game, we made mistakes in the construction. But as I said before, the lawn is the same for both teams. We had to adapt to us, and I think we did it. »»
The concerns raised by players and coaches take all the more relief as they intervene only a year from the 2026 World Cup, scheduled from June 11 to July 19, of which the United States will be the main host alongside Canada and Mexico. With 11 of the 16 host cities located on American soil, extreme climatic conditions and the quality of the lawns used in certain stadiums already question.
