Corinthians press for pitch fix after injuries and complaints at Neo Química Arena | OneFootball

The new pitch at Neo Química Arena has angered Corinthians after the 0-0 draw with Athletico-PR. Zakaria Labyad trapped his foot, twisted his left knee and went off, and five players finished with sand abrasions.

According to ge, the main issue is difficulty compacting sand that has gathered on the surface. The club drilled holes and argues players’ studs will speed up consolidation.

Refurbishment began in June, cost R$ 800,000 and was initially due for completion next Thursday, when Corinthians face Internacional in the second and decisive leg of the Copa do Brasil last 16.

Players and staff feel the surface is worse than it looks. Coach Fernando Diniz said he believes Labyad’s injury is directly linked to the turf’s poor quality.

Raniele was hurt training at the arena last week, was cut from the Remo game, and publicly urged the contractor to accelerate the work.

The pitch is natural, with synthetic fibres a few centimetres below the soil and sand to mesh the roots and strengthen the surface.

Arena operations chief Marcio de Luna said staff met president Osmar Stabile and football executive Marcelo Paz after the Athletico-PR match for technical feedback, and accepted the pitch is below what was planned before the World Cup break.

The board has recently fielded proposals for events at the end of the year, but the tendency is to reject them to protect the grass. World Sports said the surface is forecast to meet quality standards within four weeks.

Source: Globo.com