Flamengo hails clubs' unity backing halt to new artificial pitches | OneFootball

“FLAMENGO SALUTES THE DECISION OF SERIE A CLUBS FOR THE SUSPENSION OF NEW SYNTHETIC PITCHES The Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, true to its commitment to excellence and the evolution of Brazilian football, salutes the decision of the majority of Serie A clubs, who, with foresight and responsibility regarding the spectacle and the health of the athletes, decided on the immediate suspension of the approval of new synthetic pitches in Serie A. The decision also reaffirms support for the initiative to establish, in Brazil, a First World Quality Standard for Natural Pitches, to be defined within the scope of the CBF Working Group to be formed. The decision was made at the Serie A Technical Council on 11/12/2025. Flamengo, which last Monday submitted to the CBF (RGC / REC) a technical document with suggestions and analyses, making public its position for the end of synthetic pitches in Serie A, for the implementation of a rigorous quality standard for natural fields and for a safe and gradual transition, welcomes the advancement of the debate initiated by the club and the decision made, understanding that it reflects a necessary evolution for Brazilian football. The End of an Era of Delay The suspension of the approval of new artificial surfaces is a first step towards the fundamental recognition that: 1. The opinion of the athletes is sovereign: Flamengo has always defended that the voice of the true protagonists, the athletes – who have already expressed themselves in large numbers, including names like Neymar, Gabigol, and Thiago Silva – must have decisive weight. According to the athletes, the natural field is the only surface recognized worldwide as suitable for high-performance football, ensuring the health of players and the technical fairness of the game. 2. Non-negotiable quality: The minority justification that "high-performance" synthetic surpasses natural fields in "poor conditions" is a confession of the urgent need for a technical standard and a program for improving the management and maintenance of natural fields in the country, and not a defense of the plastic surface. The solution is to invest in the maintenance and technology of natural pitches, according to the First World Standard that Flamengo and the majority of clubs aspire to. 3. FIFA understands that synthetic pitches are not suitable for high-level competitions and therefore do not allow them in their top-tier competitions. Flamengo is interacting with FIFA's leading experts on the subject and, as a result, bringing to Brazil and the future working group a set of studies from FIFA's research group that will be fundamental to underpin the technical discussion of the subject. The Future of the Game is Natural Flamengo congratulates the CBF for leading the technical debate – including the pace of the game and unfair competitive advantages – and, more crucially, for paving the way for a robust governance model that will allow the mandatory transition to natural pitches in all elite clubs. The year 2026 will mark the resumption of Brazilian excellence, where the field can finally be an ally of talent and technique, and not an obstacle to be overcome. The Clube de Regatas do Flamengo reaffirms its commitment to modernization, transparency, and above all, to the quality of football played in Brazil. The Club will remain at the forefront, actively collaborating with the CBF and other clubs in defining a First World Natural Pitch Standard, ensuring that the spectacle on the field matches the passion of the fans and the history of five-time champion football.”

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