Arsenal boss Renee Slegers fears extra gamers can be injured if matches proceed to be performed on substandard pitches.
The Gunners’ 2-0 Champions League defeat at Actual Madrid on Tuesday night time passed off on a rain-sodden floor which was labelled a “shame” by former Arsenal striker Ian Wright.
It was held on the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium, the 6,000-seater house of Actual’s reserves, whereas Arsenal are assured a greater pitch once they host Liverpool within the WSL on the Emirates Stadium, dwell on Sky Sports activities this Saturday, in addition to the return leg with Actual subsequent Wednesday.
“In fact we prefer to play on an excellent floor, I believe each group does. It makes soccer a bit simpler,” mentioned Slegers.
“I believe ladies’s soccer deserves to play on good surfaces. Not least due to participant damage dangers.”
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Beth Mead criticised the state of Actual Madrid’s pitch for the Champions League quarter-final win over Arsenal, insisting the ladies’s recreation nonetheless has a ‘lengthy strategy to go’ and that the identical scenario would by no means occur at that stage within the males’s recreation
The circumstances appeared to have prompted a nasty damage to Actual’s Melanie Leupolz, who caught her studs within the mud whereas enjoying a go, with the Germany midfielder departing the sector in tears.
Actual later confirmed the previous Chelsea participant had suffered a torn lateral ligament and can be sidelined for 2 months.
“That is not for me to evaluate and that may be a tough name for anybody to make, why that occurred,” mentioned Slegers.
“However there was an damage on the pitch and, yeah, we would like good pitches, for participant well being.”
Actual Madrid’s Signe Bruun through the Girls’s Champions League quarter-final first leg
There was additionally criticism of the enjoying floor at Derby’s Satisfaction Park, which hosted Sunday’s League Cup closing between Chelsea and Manchester Metropolis, and which Blues midfielder Erin Cuthbert mentioned was “not match for a closing”.
Talking forward of Sunday’s WSL rematch with Metropolis, Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor mentioned: “I believe that is simply not acceptable to have the ability to play on unhealthy pitches, to begin with due to the standard, but in addition, and perhaps primarily, due to the protection of the gamers.
“I believe that is one thing we actually now must take into consideration, being in 2025, we’re within the trendy world the place within the ladies’s recreation we must always have the perfect pitches potential.
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Chelsea supervisor Sonia Bompastor says that her first trophy as Chelsea supervisor ‘feels nice’.
“It is by no means straightforward to speak about different golf equipment, however once they have a such an excellent group within the males’s facet and an excellent stadium, I believe they need to take some accountability for having the ladies’s group play within the large stadium in Madrid.
“UEFA ought to take some selections and they need to impose to the golf equipment to have the ability to have one other pitch, particularly when it is a world break for the lads’s facet and the large stadium is obtainable.
“I do know it prices cash, for certain, however if you wish to assist ladies’s soccer, it is advisable make these selections.”
Saturday’s different WSL fixture sees rock-bottom Crystal Palace, who received solely their second recreation of the season in opposition to Aston Villa final weekend, journey to eighth-placed Everton.
“They have been in all probability thrown a lifeboat final weekend,” mentioned Toffees boss Brian Sorensen.
“They know if they will go on and do the identical tomorrow, they are going to be in an excellent place for the final 5 video games of the season.”
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