Euro 2016: Uefa orders Lille pitch relaid due to ‘irreversible damage’

Uefa said on Tuesday that the pitch at the Lille Euro 2016 stadium has suffered “irreversible damage” from bad weather and will be relaid after Wednesday’s game between Italy and the Republic of Ireland.

Two men work on the pitch prior to the Euro 2016 group A match between Switzerland and France at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Lille on June 19, 2016. The poor state of pitches of the Euro 2016 football tournament has triggered a debate among players and coaches.(AFP)

European football governing body Uefa said on Tuesday that the pitch at the Lille Euro 2016 stadium has suffered “irreversible damage” from bad weather and will be relaid after Wednesday’s game between Italy and the Republic of Ireland.

“The extremely difficult weather conditions in the past few weeks (rain, humidity, lack of sunshine) have caused irreversible damage to the surface at the stadium,” said a Uefa statement.

The new turf will be brought from the Netherlands and laid on Friday. The pitch has already been relaid once this year. Several surfaces used for the ongoing European Championship finals have been criticised.

A player of France (L) and a player of Switzerland vie for the ball during the match between Switzerland and France at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Lille on June 19, 2016. The poor state of pitches at Euro 2016 has triggered a debate among players and coaches. (AFP)