SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

France coach joins debate on poor state of Euro pitches

LILLE, France (Reuters) - France coach Didier Deschamps joined a growing debate on the poor state of pitches at Euro 2016 on Saturday by voicing worries about the playing conditions at the Lille stadium where his side will face Switzerland in their final Group A match.

France coach joins debate on poor state of Euro pitches
(Reuters)

2 min read

Published

Source: Reuters


Skip to article content

France switched to a nearby stadium for their final training session to preserve the pitch of the venue for Sunday's match.

"It's not ideal but we were confronted to that two years ago already (at the World Cup) in Brazil," Deschamps told a news conference. "If we can't train on it, it means there are a few worries. It's unfortunate but we have to adapt".

France goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris told the same news conference that the condition of the pitches at the tournament was a real problem.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

"It's a bit surprising in general and it's not just Lille," he said. "It was like that at the Velodrome (stadium in Marseille), where the ground was really difficult to play on", he added, referring to France's 2-0 victory over Albania in their second Group A match.

UEFA said it was unhappy about the state of pitches in France, in particular in Marseille, Saint Denis, outside Paris, where the showcase Stade de France is located, and Lille.

The European governing body said it was working to improve the pitches as the championship enters its second week under unusually wet weather. [nL8N1991KO]

The surface in Marseille has drawn the greatest criticism. Deschamps called it a disaster and questioned the stadium owners' decision to hold a rock concert by AC/DC at the Stade Velodrome a few weeks before the tournament.

France are already sure of going through to the last 16 and will fight for first place in their group when they face Switzerland.

"We are professional players and we need to adapt to the circumstances," Lloris said. "We'll try to offer a nice show by playing good football despite the state of the pitch".

(Writing by Patrick Vignal in Paris, editing by Julien Pretot)


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world