With reference to media reports, the Malta FA is well aware that the National Stadium pitch, in Ta’ Qali, is currently not in the best condition owing to various factors. The Association feels that, in order to avoid further speculation on this very specific subject, it should publicly explain the entire process followed by the international company that manages the greenkeeping at its sports complex in Ta' Qali.
The maintenance process adopted in recent years, since the installation of the new hybrid pitch at the National Stadium (a system that combines natural grass and synthetic fibres) has changed. At present, the seed is not sown in summer (Bermudagrass) i.e. between one football season and the next. In the last weeks, the Malta FA has followed the direction and advice given in a report prepared by an expert agronomist in the field and carried out the proposed maintenance work accordingly. Upon completion of this process, the pitch should be in an optimal condition in a few weeks’ time, before the winter seed (ryegrass) is sown when the climate changes.
The climate change factor (strong heat that suffocates the air at the root level and also the strong humidity of the past weeks) have had an adverse effect on the state of the pitch, causing a situation like the one we are experiencing at the beginning of this season. When the winter grass dies, the summer grass takes much longer than normal to germinate and spread, especially in those areas where there is the greatest amount of traffic on the pitch and therefore where the greatest compaction takes place. It must be said that, having areas without bermudagras does not mean that the pitch is not suitable for use as all the parameters related to the quality of the pitch, namely hardness and traction, are all in accordance with the required levels.
Other significant factors that posed a greater challenge for the state of pitch this year were those related to the international calendar; with the last game of the UEFA Nations League taking place almost in the middle of the month of June and the pitch being used again less than two months later for the game from Round 3 of the UEFA Europa Conference League in the first week of August. This shortened period of time, together with the afore-mentioned complications, did not allow sufficient time for the summer grass to spread evenly in every area of the pitch. For the future, this factor must be studied better in order to find a solution and give the pitch sufficient time.
Despite all this, one must emphasise that the impact on the safety of the players is not being compromised because the same pitch, being a hybrid type, has strong synthetic fibres that keep it compact and reinforced in the parts between the sandy infill and the subsoil. In fact, the state of the pitch is not damaged and although aesthetically it does not look nice, it still offers a good surface on which games can be played.
Over the past weeks, and also after consultation with UEFA, the pitch has been subjected to various protection measures to allow the grass to recover naturally. In fact, two matches from Round 3 of the UEFA Europa Conference League were played at the Centenary Stadium instead of the National Stadium. The MD-1 training session of the Play-Off Round of the UEFA Europa Conference League was moved to the Training Grounds as part of the protection plan agreed with UEFA and the two respective clubs. Moreover, this weekend a fixture from the BOV Premier League has been switched from the National Stadium to the Centenary Stadium so that the pitch is spared another 90 minutes of football.
The Malta FA reiterates that the National Stadium is the only stadium in the country with a Category 4 certificate and is therefore the only venue that can host international matches from a certain level of FIFA and UEFA competitions. Therefore, when one considers the congestion in the domestic and international football calendars, the surface of the National Stadium takes on many more matches compared to other stadia abroad. This situation is further exacerbated by the lack of existing sports facilities in the country. With an average of 100 games per football season, the National Stadium is one of the most used stadia in Europe. It is therefore to be expected that, in some months of the year and due to circumstances, that are beyond the control of the experts, the pitch may not be in the best condition for short periods of time.
Nevertheless, the Association is firmly committed to keep striving and do whatever is necessary to ensure that the state of the National Stadium pitch returns to its best condition in the shortest possible time.
Malta FA - Stqarrija għall-Istampa 26.08.2022
Il-Pitch tal-Istadium Nazzjonali
B’referenza għal rapporti fil-media, il-Malta FA tavża li l-kundizzjoni tal-pitch tal-Istadium Nazzjonali f’Ta’ Qali ma tinsabx fl-aħjar kundizzjoni minħabba diversi fatturi. L-Assoċjazzjoni ħasset li, sabiex ma ssirx spekulazzjoni żejda fuq dan is-suġġett speċifiku, għandha tispjega lill-pubbliku l-proċess kollu wżat mill-kumpanija barranija li tmexxi l-greenkeeping fil-kumpless sportiv f’Ta’ Qali.
Il-proċess ta’ manutenzjoni adottat fl-aħħar snin sa minn meta l-pitch tal-Istadium Nazzjonali saritlu instalazzjoni ta’ pitch ibridu (sistema li tgħaqqad il-ħaxix naturali ma’ fibri sintetiċi) inbidel. Illum iż-żerriegħa ma tkunx miżrugħa fis-sajf (Bermudagrass) bejn staġun tal-futbol u ieħor. Fl-aħħar ġimgħat u abbażi ta’ rapport minn espert agronomu fil-qasam, il-Malta FA segwiet id-direzzjoni mgħotija u bix-xogħol ta’ manutenzjoni propost il-pitch għandu jkun fil-kundizzjoni normali sa ftit ġimgħat oħra qabel imbagħad tinżergħa ż-żerriegħa tax-xitwa (ryegrass) meta taqleb il-klima.
Il-fattur tal-bdil fil-klima (sħana qawwija li toħnoq l-arja fil-livell ta’ għeruq u kif ukoll umdita qawwija fl-aħħar ġimgħat) ħallew ir-riperkussjonijiet bħal dawk li qed nesperjenzaw fil-bidu ta’ dan l-istaġun. Wara li jmut il-ħaxix tax-xitwa, dak tas-sajf idum ħafna aktar min-normal biex jinbet u jinfirex speċjalment fiż-żoni fejn ikun hemm l-akbar ammont ta’ traffiku fuq il-pitch u allura fejn issir l-akbar kompattazzjoni minħabba l-użu. Għalhekk, li jkollok żoni mingħajr bermudagrass mhix kwistjoni ta’ pitch mhux tajjeb għall-użu, tant li l-parametri kollha li jikkonċernaw il-kwalità tal-pitch jiġifieri fl-ebusija u t-trazzjoni, huma kollha skont il-livelli rikjesti.
Fatturi oħra ġodda li din is-sena kienu żgur ta’ sfida akbar għall-pitch kienu dawk relatati mal-kalendarju internazzjonali. Bl-aħħar logħba mill-UEFA Nations League ssir kważi f’nofs ix-xahar ta’ Ġunju u bil-pitch jerġa’ jintuża f’inqas minn xahrejn għal-logħba minn Round 3 tal-UEFA Conference League fl-ewwel ġimgħa ta’ Awwissu. Dan il-perjodu qasir ta’ żmien, flimkien mal-kumplikazzjonijiet imsemmija qabel, ma ħallewx żmien biżżejjed biex il-ħaxix tas-sajf jilħaq jinfirex b’mod ugwali f’kull żona tal-pitch. Għall-futur, dan il-fattur irid ikun studjat aħjar sabiex tinstab soluzzjoni biex il-pitch jingħata ż-żmien meħtieġ.
Iżda minkejja dan kollu l-impatt fuq is-sigurtà tal-players mhux qed tkun kompromessa għaliex l-istess pitch, ġaladarba huwa ibridu, għandu fibri sintetiċi b’saħħithom li jzommuh kompatt u msaħħaħ fil-parti bejn l-infill ramlija u l-ħamrija ta’ taħt. Fil-fatt l-istat tal-pitch mhux daneġġjat b’xi ħsara u għalkemm estetikament ma jidhirx sabiħ, xorta waħda joffri wiċċ li jista’ jintlagħab il-logħob fuqu.
Fl-aħħar ġimgħat u anki wara konsultazzjoni mal-UEFA, il-pitch ingħata protezzjoni varja biex il-ħaxix ikollu ċ-ċans jirkupra b’mod naturali. Fil-fatt kienu ntlagħabu żewġ logħbiet minn Round 3 tal-UEFA Europa Conference League fis-Centenary Stadium minflok fl-Istadium Nazzjonali. Filwaqt li t-taħriġ tal-ġurnata ta’ qabel il-logħba tal-bieraħ mill-Play-Off Round tal-UEFA Europa Conference League tmexxa għat-Training Grounds bħala parti mill-pjan ta’ protezzjoni maqbul mal-UEFA u ż-żewġ klabbs rispettivi. Fi tmiem il-ġimgħa wkoll tressqet logħba mill-Kampjonat BOV Premier mill-Istadium Nazzjonali għas-Centenary Stadium biex il-pitch ikun salvagwardjat minn 90 minuta oħra ta’ futbol.
Il-Malta FA tfakkar li l-Istadium Nazzjonali huwa l-uniku stadium fil-pajjiż b’ċertifikat ta’ Kategorija 4 u allura l-uniku li jista’ jieħu fih logħbiet internazzjonali minn ċertu livell ta’ kompetizzjonijiet tal-FIFA u l-UEFA. Għalhekk meta tqis il-konġestjoni fil-kalendarji domestiċi u internazzjonali tal-futbol, il-wiċċ tal-Istadium Nazzjonali jieħu fuqu ħafna aktar logħbiet minn dak li jieħdu pitches oħra fi stadiums oħra. Dan jiġri wkoll minħabba n-nuqqas ta’ faċilitajiet sportivi eżistenti fil-pajjiż. Bi frekwenza ta’ 100 logħba kull staġun tal-futbol, l-Istadium Nazzjonali jagħmlu wieħed mill-aktar stadiums użati fl-Ewropa. Huwa għalhekk normali li f’xi perjodi matul is-sena u minħabba ċirkostanzi li lanqas l-esperti ma jkollhom kontroll fuqhom, ma jkunx fl-aħjar kundizzjoni għal perjodi qosra ta’ żmien.
L-Assoċjazzjoni twiegħed li se tkompli taħdem biex il-livell normali u mixtieq tal-wiċċ tal-Istadium Nazzjonali jintlaħaq fl-iqsar żmien possibbli.