Palmeiras and others back synthetic pitches, slam ‘simplified’ talk | OneFootball

Amid the growing debate over the use of synthetic turf in Brazilian football, five clubs — Palmeiras, Athletico Paranaense, Atlético, Botafogo, and Chapecoense — released a joint statement reaffirming their support for the technology, which they say is regulated, safe, and aligned with the best international practices.

The clubs emphasize that there is no standardization of pitches in Brazil, which makes it unfair to direct criticism exclusively at synthetic fields. According to them, reducing the topic to a single narrative ignores the complexity of the issue and overlooks recurring maintenance problems in many natural grass pitches across the country.

The statement also highlights that high-performance synthetic pitches surpass, in several aspects, natural fields in poor condition, offering consistency, safety, and a more constant standard throughout the season — factors that directly impact the quality of the game.

Another point emphasized is the lack of conclusive scientific studies linking an increase in injuries to modern synthetic pitches. According to the clubs, this perception is not supported by concrete evidence.

For the signatories, the debate over pitch quality is not only welcome but necessary. However, they stress that it needs to take place based on data, responsibility, and technical knowledge, and not on narratives that distort reality and mislead the public.

Below is the full statement as released by the clubs:

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 support of this technology, adopted responsibly, regulated, and aligned with the best international practices.

First and foremost, 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 a high-performance synthetic pitch surpasses, in several aspects, the natural fields in poor condition found 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 pitches.

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 issue.

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