Manaus pitch looks poor, but FIFA calm about big clash

Parts of the pitch in Manaus’s Amazonia Arena still looked in poor shape yesterday just days ahead of England’s Group D World Cup clash with Italy but FIFA said it was confident the grass would be ready in time.

Manaus is deep in Brazil’s Amazon jungle, noted for its high temperatures and stifling humidity, and the pitch has been a concern for months. A team of FIFA experts is in Manaus to help deal with the damage.

The grass yesterday was threadbare in places and discoloured in others. Near one goalkeeper’s area patches of sand could clearly be seen poking through.

“The pitch in Manaus has been undergoing treatment in preparation for the World Cup. Over the last three months, mitigation procedures have been put in place and there continues to be significant improvement,” said a FIFA spokeswoman.

“Pitch experts from FIFA and the local operating committee are satisfied that the pitch will be ready for training and the matches, and have been based in Manaus to ensure that all proper procedures are in place.”

England meet Italy in their Group D opener on Saturday.

Jose Melo, the governor of Amazonas state where Manaus is located, said the grass was suffering in the high humidity.

He dismissed media reports which said too much fertiliser had been put on the grass.

Dozens of workers scrambled yesterday to finish the stadium, which is covered in steel latticework designed to resemble a traditional weaving basket.

Outside the arena a digger busily flattened red top soil while labourers waited to lay already wilting squares of grass turf.

Large holes dotted the concrete sidewalk along the main road which runs past the stadium.

Manaus will also stage the games between Cameroon and Croatia, Honduras and Switzerland and the United States and Portugal.