Audio By Carbonatix
Paris St-Germain manager Luis Enrique has criticised the pitches at the Club World Cup and said the "ball bounced like a rabbit" during his side's win against the Seattle Sounders.
The match was played at Seattle's Lumen Field, home of MLS side the Sounders and NFL team the Seattle Seahawks, with the stadium's artificial turf replaced with a temporary hybrid grass for the tournament.
The Spaniard says football's world governing body, Fifa, needs to "bear in mind" the quality of both match and training pitches if it wants the Club World Cup to be "the most high-level competition in the world".
"I wouldn't imagine an NBA court full of holes," the 55-year-old said after his side won 2-0 to secure top spot in Group B in the tournament, which is being solely hosted in the United States.
"What I really care about is the state of the field of play, and I say this on the day we've won.
"The ball bounces almost like if it were jumping around like a rabbit."
PSG won the Champions League at the end of May with a dominant victory over Inter Milan in Munich to complete a European and domestic treble.
Luis Enrique said his team have had to adjust the way they play since their arrival in the US because of pitch conditions.
"Lumen Field is an example, it used to be artificial turf and now it is natural grass and they have to water it by hand - they did so at half-time but the field was dry again in 10 minutes," he added.
"For our game this a problem. It's very different to European pitches. The grass is different and therefore it is not so easy to have the same smoothness to play our style - but we did adapt well and we're very happy."
Concerns for the World Cup
There are fewer than 12 months before the Fifa World Cup takes place across Canada, Mexico and United States.
Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham also criticised the pitches at the Club World Cup following his side's 3-1 win against Pachuca.
"The pitches aren't great at all. It holds up the ball, the ball barely bounces," said the England midfielder.
"It's tough on the knees as well. Hopefully there's someone who will look at that going into the World Cup next year."
Five of the venues from this year - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Hard Rock Stadium, MetLife Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field and Lumen Field - will also host World Cup matches.
All five are used by NFL teams and usually have artificial turf but will have real grass installed in time for the World Cup in order to meet Fifa requirements.
The inaugural Club World Cup is not the first time the standard of pitches in the US has caused problems.
Players were critical of conditions at last summer's Copa America, with Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saying the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was a "disaster" following a win over Canada.
Tournament organiser Conmebol defended the pitches, with director of competitions Fredirico Nantes saying "the grass in Atlanta posed absolutely no threat".
The stadium will host eight matches at the World Cup next summer, including one of the semi-finals.
The state of the pitches is the latest concern that has been raised at the Club World Cup.
There have been concerns about the weather throughout the competition, with extreme heat causing problems for the players.
Borussia Dortmund substitutes watched the first half of their win over Mamelodi Sundowns from the dressing room because of the temperature, with their manager Niko Kovac saying conditions were "like a sauna".
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has said his side have struggled to train in Philadelphia, as temperatures reached 37C.
BBC Sport has contacted FIFA for comment.
Latest Stories
-
First Atlantic Bank PLC marks major milestone with oversubscribed IPO and upcoming GSE listing
11 minutes -
Trade Minister meets tomato traders and transporters to resolve the sector’s challenges
20 minutes -
African Summit 2025 opens in Accra
28 minutes -
MultiChoice Ghana rewards DStv premium subscribers with UK Premier League experience
49 minutes -
Three GCTU scholars named among world’s top 2% scientists
51 minutes -
IMF Executive Board completes the fifth review under the extended Credit Facility arrangement with Ghana
55 minutes -
Dr. Zaato criticises government for sending engineers abroad while local projects stall
58 minutes -
Today’s Front pages: Thursday, December 18, 2025
2 hours -
Let’s rally behind Bawumia to rebuild and reclaim power in 2028 – Opoku Prempeh to NPP faithful
2 hours -
UK and Ghana co-host African Development Fund 17 Pledging Conference in London
2 hours -
Work yourself out of a job: The fearless path to leadership legacy
2 hours -
Empower institutions, not politicians, to win the galamsey fight – Kokofu
2 hours -
Mankessim Omanhen declares lithium lands ‘Artificial Disaster Zones’
2 hours -
Funerals, family visits drive GH¢6.6bn in domestic tourism
2 hours -
Christmas fever in Mother Ghana
3 hours
