Santos believe Vila Belmiro pitch is past its best, expected to remain only reasonable this year | OneFootball

According to Globo.com, Santos believe the Vila Belmiro pitch has reached its limit and is expected to remain only reasonable for the rest of the season. The surface is considered far from ideal for football and unlikely to be fully ready this year.

Work was carried out in June, including replanting, density adjustments for winter conditions and levelling with a sand layer. The view now is that any measure short of full replacement will be only a stopgap.

The issue intensified with Neymar’s criticism before, during and after the match against Palmeiras, when he voiced dissatisfaction with the surface. He used an expletive to dismiss the pre-match work undertaken for the Copa do Brasil tie.

Hours after a technical inspection by World Soccer, the firm responsible for the Vila turf, Neymar left at half-time with an injury. The company did not comment when contacted.

Santos have struggled to secure alternative venues in São Paulo, so abandoning Vila Belmiro is not being considered now. The plan is to replace the turf only at season’s end, between late December and early January.

Source: Globo.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”