DFB team hints at potential hazardous condition on the "catastrophe" field
In November, Frankfurt hosted the NFL, and the hybrid turf had to be swapped following two games due to troubles with the natural grass. This problematic grass has been causing issues for Eintracht Frankfurt, the German national team, and now the European Championship participants. Before the German group finale against Switzerland, the UEFA plans to take action.
Jamal Musiala complained after his tumble on the Frankfurt "Rutschbahn" in frustration. "I'm just glad I survived that," Musiala snarled after Germany's 2:1 against the Netherlands in March. Exactly three months later, Musiala faces the DFB team again in Frankfurt, and it doesn't seem like things have improved. Renewed slips seem imminent for the group stage finale against Switzerland, even the UEFA is concerned.
Following England's 1:1 against Denmark on Thursday, there was collective head-shaking about the grass condition. Danish forward Yussuf Poulsen, who plays in the Bundesliga for RB Leipzig, commented, "I've played in Frankfurt many times before - and it's always like that. That's nothing new," and advised his teammates to wear studs to deal with the slick surface that would emerge after 20 minutes.
The issues had been present even earlier in the moisture-soaked green. England's Bukayo Saka switched his shoes during warm-ups after just a few seconds, while Kyle Walker reacted to a potentially dangerous slip five minutes into the game - but no one could find a solution. "Even if we played with iron studs, the place was still very slippery," said Danish winger Joakim Maehle. "We had trouble running on it."
Natural grass doesn't grow well in the winter
The grass is especially problematic for swift agile players like Florian Wirtz or Musiala. "I make a lot of turns. The place has to be stable," Musiala explained in March. "A little slippery is okay, but that was dangerous." Thomas Muller called it "madness." The place was "a disaster, really a disaster," Nagelsmann said at the time.
Even Eintracht Frankfurt, the home team, struggled with the slippery green during the second half of the Bundesliga season. The reason for the poor condition was often attributed to the NFL games held in November. The hybrid grass, which was laid down for the US football league, was so damaged after the two matches that it had to be replaced - and this was necessary since there was little time before the next home game for Eintracht against natural grass.
This natural grass couldn't grow properly in the Hessian winter, and it has remained a problematic subsurface ever since. Various measures during the second half of the season and also before the EM have not yielded any fruit. The UEFA has now expressed concern. There is a "detailed maintenance plan to address certain problems and further improve the quality of the pitch for the upcoming matches."
The chances of success in the short term? Uncertain! Even if Musiala and his teammates wear the best possible studs on Sunday (9 pm/ARD, MagentaTV and in the ntv.de liveticker), the likelihood of slipping remains high.
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The NFL's use of the hybrid turf at Frankfurt in November led to issues for both Eintracht Frankfurt and the German national team, who are participating in the European Championship 2024. Jamal Musiala, a star player for both Frankfurt and the German national team, experienced dangerous slips on the field, echoing concerns from England's Bukayo Saka and Joakim Maehle. Despite measures to improve the surface, the UEFA has expressed concern about the condition of the field for upcoming matches.
