Flamengo president to Leila Pereira: Leave football for showbiz | OneFootball

Luiz Eduardo Baptista Reinforces Flamengo's Stance Against Synthetic Turf

Flamengo sent a letter to the CBF this Monday (08) requesting the standardization of the pitches in the Brasileirão, calling for an end to synthetic fields. Present at the entity's event marking the end of the competition, Flamengo president Luiz Eduardo Baptista asked that clubs with artificial turf leave football.

— It's not just about standardization. We have been running an important campaign against plastic pitches. Next year, there will be 18 stadiums, six with plastic turf. You don't see this in Europe, in South America. We're taking ideas from countries that have ten months of ice per year. So there, if you don't have a field like this, you can't play football. In my view, it's a shame that we accept this in Brazil — said Bap.

— We will work against this. Not just for the standardization of pitches, but for the field we play on. Plastic fields, no. This is Flamengo's position and we repeat it. Those who want to make money by hosting shows should change businesses. Leave football and go into Show Business. But to think that football needs a plastic field because of concerts, we do not agree with that — he added.

DID PALMEIRAS GET THE MESSAGE?

Even though Flamengo did not mention any names in the letter, Palmeiras responded. The club's president, Leila Pereira, mocked Mengão, saying that the Most Beloved does not have a stadium. In addition, the executive defended the plastic turf at Allianz Parque.

“There is no scientific evidence that synthetic fields pose a greater risk of injury to athletes (…). If the current management of Flamengo, led by president Bap, were really concerned about the quality of pitches in Brazil, the Maracanã field wouldn't be as bad as it is. By the way, Flamengo, on the day it has its own stadium, can install whatever type of turf it wants,” Leila mocked.

“Palmeiras has its own stadium and chose to install artificial turf. I also have a stadium, Arena Crefisa Barueri, and decided to implement synthetic turf. The most important thing is to respect FIFA's rules and the physical integrity of the athletes, without club bias and without fake news,” she added.

ARE YOU CALMER NOW, MY RUNNER-UP?

In summary, even with the season over for Palmeiras, the Brazilian and Libertadores runner-up can't get Flamengo out of their minds. On the other hand, Mengão is only focused on the Intercontinental Cup. Next Wednesday (10), Filipe Luís' squad will face Cruz Azul (MEX), at 2 p.m. (Brasília time).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.