“Honestly, the pitch is not in good condition"
Barcelona take on Atletico in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Thursday night at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
It promises to be another exciting game between the two clubs, although Koke has revealed the pitch at Atletico’s stadium is in a bit of a state right now.
Speaking after Sunday’s defeat to Real Betis, the midfielder made it clear just what it’s like to play on the pitch.
“Honestly, the pitch is not in good condition. We slip, the turf comes up… A team like Atletico needs the pitch to be good in order to play,” he said.
“We’re expected to perform at a high level, and we need a pitch of that level to be able to do so; a top-quality surface.
“Being realistic, we have to play better. It’s not an excuse, but here we’re slipping, and the best conditions are like the pitch was the other day at La Cartuja.”
Atletico are said to have no plans to replace the pitch until the end of the season, and it’s something Barcelona will need to be wary of ahead of Thursday’s match.
Category: General Sports
