Apart from some of the other concerns surrounding the World Cup, on that list is the condition of the pitch in Manaus. England will take on Italy there in their opening match of the tournament, but Roy Hodgson is concerned with the conditions.
Having decided to build a stadium in Manaus was a bad idea for many. The fact that it is in a very remote area was a good enough reason to not build the stadium, along with the climate. After spending $229m to construct the stadium, head groundsman Carlos Botella has admitted that the pitch is in bad condition.
England manager Roy Hodgson is aware of the conditions, which are being blamed on the rain and algae, which has led him to send FA delegates to assess the pitch damage.
“We’ve started to implement an emergency plan to try to save the field and improve it as much as possible, but I don’t think it’ll be in good condition by the weekend,” Botella told reporters.
“We put fertilizer on and we’ll increase the fertilizing process with biostimulants and seeds to try to get the most out of the grass,” he added.
Starting the tournament is already enough pressure, but doing so in a very humid environment and a poor pitch will only make things more difficult for both Italy and England. FIFA officials will be hopeful that the grounds crew can get everything sorted out in time before the match kicks off, but at the moment, it does not look promising.
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