For several years, the debate about playing areas in football has shared players, coaches and clubs all over the world. Recently, this controversy has re -entered in Brazil, where some of the country’s most prominent players – including Neymar—Sa taken one Solid stand against synthetic grass. Their campaign has led to heated responses from clubs and added fuel to an already growing controversy.
But what did exactly Santos Star and his colleagues say? And why does this question cause such movement over Brazilian football? On Tuesday, Neymar, Thiago Silva and Philippe Coutinho shared a collective statement on social media and expressed their disapproval of artificial grass on Brazilian football arenas. The post contained a striking image with the slogan “Football is natural, not synthetic.”
In their message, the players expressed their concerns about the future of Brazilian football and noted: “The direction Brazilian football takes is worrying. It is absurd that we have to talk about synthetic grass in our places. Objective, with the size and representativeness of our football, it should not even be an option. “
Athletes claimed that if Brazil aims to establish itself as a global football leader, it must prioritize the quality of the playing areas where its athletes compete and train. Their attitude quickly gained traction, as other players and fans repeated their feelings over social media platforms.
Coaches and players share frustrations
In addition to the Santos star, several high-profile figures in Brazilian football have previously expressed their frustrations with artificial grass. Former Brazil national team coach Fernando Diniz and Sao Paulo coach Luis Zubeldía Have both criticized synthetic surfaces, with reference to concerns about the player’s safety and performance.
After Sao Paulo’s latest match against Palmeiras at Allianz Parque, Zubeldía revealed that he had deliberately excluded Lucas Moura and Oscar from the lineup due to the synthetic pitch. The Argentine coach pronounced unclearly: “Players prefer natural grass. Although FIFA allows synthetic pitch, all teams are dissatisfied with this compensation. “
Messi’s criticism adds global weight to debate
Interestingly, Neymar’s comments come just after another football icon, Lionel Messiexpressed their own frustrations with artificial grass during 2024 Cup America In the United States. Although he sometimes played on peat in MLS, the Argentine star fought with the temporary grass installed over Artificial Turf at Metlife Stadium during his country’s semi -final victory over Canada last July.
Spoken to TYC -SPORT After the match, Messi admitted: “This was a very difficult match. Damn, it was so hot, and the pitch was very difficult to play. But we have to enjoy what we could do. “
The question derives from Conmebol’s decision to install natural grass over the stadium’s existing artificial grass. However, since the grass was laid during the tournament’s group steps, it had not been replaced by the time of the semi -finals, which resulted in uneven gaming conditions. The watercourse surface prevented fast players like Alphonso Davies, which further illustrates the challenges that non-traditional places constitute.
