After players’ complaints, Corinthians speed up Arena pitch settling | OneFootball

Throughout last Tuesday (21), Corinthians began the process of perforating the new pitch at Neo Química Arena in order to speed up the compaction of the surface, which was recently replaced. The measure aims to allow the sand to penetrate the soil more efficiently, increasing consistency and stability on the field. The information was first reported by ge.globo and confirmed by Central do Timão.

According to the outlet, Corinthians staff and players expressed dissatisfaction with the current condition of the Arena’s new pitch during training at the stadium last Monday (20), mainly because of the excess sand spread across the surface combined with the lack of soil compaction.

Photo: Gustavo Vasco/Agência Corinthians

Last Tuesday (21), defensive midfielder Raniele was even left out of Corinthians training at CT Dr. Joaquim Grava after suffering a knee injury on the Arena’s new pitch during a training session held there earlier in the week. The No. 14 stayed only in the indoor area of the training center, receiving treatment on the area affected by the fall.

In addition, according to ge.globo, Corinthians plans for the pitch to be in ideal condition by the match against Internacional in the Copa do Brasil round of 16 on August 6. Before that, Alvinegro will have two matches in Itaquera. This Thursday (23), at 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time), they host Remo, and on the 30th, at the same time, they will face Athletico-PR. The matches are valid for rounds 19 and 21 of the Brazilian Championship.

The replacement of the pitch at the People’s House began in the first days of June, after a friendly involving the Brazilian Women’s National Team, and continued during the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, carrying on a process that had started during the break for the Club World Cup in mid-2025.

The goal is for the pitch to have the same quality as the stadium surface inaugurated in 2014. In addition to replacing the field, Corinthians has also been cleaning the façade of Neo Química Arena, a process that began in July and is expected to end in September, at an estimated cost of between R$ 500,000 and R$ 600,000, according to Meu Timão. Drinking fountains were also installed in the Arena’s North and South sections, along with the removal of seats from the South section, which increased the venue’s capacity from 7,406 to 9,083. The club is also considering the possible replacement of the stadium’s LED panels.

Currently, with the round partially completed, Corinthians sit in 12th place in the Brazilian Championship with 24 points — six wins, six draws, and six losses — with 18 goals scored and 19 conceded. A win could take Timão as high as seventh place in the national tournament. In the event of a defeat, Timão could end the round in 13th place if there is a winner in the match between Internacional and Cruzeiro, who face each other this Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. at Beira-Rio.

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