PSG coach Luis Enrique criticizes poor US pitches at Club World Cup
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."
Paris St-Germain manager Luis Enrique has criticized the pitches at the Club World Cup, saying that the "ball bounced like a rabbit" during his side's win against the Seattle Sounders.
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".
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.
"I wouldn't imagine a 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 hosted in the United States only.
"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, he was quoted by the BBC.
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 and Enrique admitted 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.
With the FIFA World Cup to be held in the US and fellow North American countries Canada and Mexico, thoughts of players, fans and their coaches will definitely shift to the state of the grounds.
It is nothing new as far as American sport is concerned but it will definitely concern natural grass users.
"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."
PSG face home side Inter Miami in their round of 16 match at the Club World Cup on Sunday.
