Wenger: Wembley pitch could affect 2018 chances 14/04/2010 |
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes the state of the Wembley pitch could hamper England’s chances of hosting the World Cup in 2018.
The poor condition of the pitch at the national stadium has made headlines this season following a host of complaints from managers.
Wembley is due to stage the 2011 Champions League Final and will host 14 matches in 18 days at the 2012 Olympic Games, including the finals of both the men’s and women’s events.
Wenger said: “I saw recently that they have re-laid it 10 times [in three years] – it looks like re-laying the pitch is not the problem. They have to go deeper. I support the campaign for England for the World Cup in 2018. I try to be active on it so I can’t imagine that England goes for the bid for the World Cup with a bad pitch.
“They have to sort out the problem. I want to feel comfortable that England have the most renowned football stadium in the world. To have a bad pitch is not acceptable. I’m confident that the FA will sort it out but it cannot remain that everybody complains about the pitch after the game. It’s not good enough.”
A spokesman for the 2018 bid committee said it was “confident” that the problems would not affect England’s chances, while the FA revealed that it had enlisted the help of experts to solve the problems caused by overuse. As well as football, other sports such as rugby and American football play games at Wembley, and music events are regularly held at the stadium.
“There is a unique challenge with the surface at Wembley and we are working with expert pitch consultants to get it right,” an FA statement read. “Wembley Stadium is a multipurpose venue and we have to hold other events as part of the business plan, which means regular pitch replacements each year.”
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