Women’s football is putting player safety at risk with the standard of pitches, the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has said.
The playing surface for top-level matches has been the source of criticism twice in the last week following Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final tie between Real Madrid and Arsenal at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium and Saturday’s Subway League Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City at Pride Park.
The conditions were described as “sub-standard” by the PFA, the players’ union for professional football in England.
“Pitches like this don’t just impact the quality of the game, they put player safety at risk,” a PFA spokesperson told
“On multiple occasions over the past few days, in important ties, our members have been asked to play in sub-standard conditions.