Palmeiras and others defend synthetic pitches after Flamengo remarks | OneFootball

Through an official statement released this Thursday, Palmeiras, together with other Brazilian clubs such as Botafogo and Atlético-MG, defended the use of synthetic turf in Brazilian stadiums, responding to recent comments made by the president of Flamengo, Luiz Eduardo Baptista, known as Bap. 

Verdão used several arguments to defend the use of synthetic turf. Palmeiras stated that the technology is safe and that there are no studies proving an increase in injuries on this type of surface. 

“In light of recent public statements about the use of synthetic turf in Brazilian football, Athletico Paranaense, Atlético, Botafogo, Chapecoense, and Palmeiras reaffirm their position in defense of this technology, adopted in a responsible, regulated manner and aligned with the best international practices,” said Palmeiras. 

“It is equally important to clarify that there is no conclusive scientific study proving an increase in injuries caused by modern synthetic turf,” added the São Paulo club. 

Bap’s statements 

Last Tuesday, Flamengo submitted a proposal to the CBF for the improvement and standardization of pitches in Brazil. One of the points requested by the Rubro-Negro is precisely the end of synthetic fields, which will see an increase in the next year’s Brazilian Championship. 

With Athletico-PR (Arena da Baixada) and Chapecoense (Arena Condá) joining Série A, the Brasileirão now has 30% of its teams playing home games on synthetic turf, an unprecedented number in the competition. In addition to them, Palmeiras (Allianz Parque), Botafogo (Nilton Santos), and Atlético-MG (Arena MRV) also use the same type of surface. 

“It’s not just about standardizing the pitch. We have been running a major campaign against synthetic turf. In 2026, there will be 18 stadiums, six of them with synthetic turf. It’s a shame that we accept this in Brazil. We will work openly against it. Not just for the standardization of pitches, but also for the field we play on. Plastic field, no. Anyone thinking of making money by hosting concerts should change businesses. Leave football and go live off show business, that’s fine,” said Bap, before the Brasileirão awards ceremony organized by the CBF on Monday. 

(Photo: Publicity/@Staff_images)

See the official statement from Palmeiras together with other clubs about synthetic turf:

“In light of recent public statements about the use of synthetic turf in Brazilian football, Athletico Paranaense, Atlético, Botafogo, Chapecoense, and Palmeiras reaffirm their position in defense of this technology, adopted in a responsible, regulated manner and aligned with the best international practices.  

First of all, it is essential to recognize that there is no standardization of pitches in Brazil. Ignoring this fact and directing criticism exclusively at synthetic turf reduces a complex debate to a simplified, unfair, and technically flawed narrative.  

We also reiterate that high-performance synthetic turf surpasses, in many aspects, the natural fields in poor condition present in a significant portion of the country’s stadiums.  

It is equally important to clarify that there is no conclusive scientific study proving an increase in injuries caused by modern synthetic turf.  

The topic of pitch quality is legitimate, healthy, and necessary. However, it must be conducted with responsibility, objective data, and technical knowledge, and not with narratives that distort reality, misinform the public, and disregard the complexity of the subject,” it said. 

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