The clash between natural grass and synthetic grass in football, revived this week after joint players’ manifestation, involves sports, financial and environmental issues.
In protest against synthetic fields, athletes avoided citing the supposed higher risk of artificial floor injuries – algo that, according to professionals, has no scientific proof. The base of the group’s criticism is that the lawn used in the stadiums of Palmeiras, Athletico and Botafogo changes the dynamics of the game.
“At no time do we say that our fight is why [risco de lesões]. Our point is totally technical about the game dynamics. The sport is completely different, society football [de gramado sintético]field soccer, with natural lawn, is totally different, “said midfielder Lucas Moura, from São Paulo.
Sport professionals point out that there are, in fact, differences between the two lawns that cause important changes in the game. This is because the type of floor changes the behavior of the ball.
“Synthetic grass tends to provide a more uniform and faster surface, which can accelerate the pace of the match and change the behavior of the ball, making it more agile and with a different sick. This may require players adaptations in their pass techniques. , dominance and ball driving, “said Flávia Magalhães, sports doctor with passages at Atlético-MG, América-MG and CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation).
Júlio Vento Serrão, coordinator of the Biomechanical Laboratory of the School of Physical Education and Sport at USP (University of São Paulo), adds that the stability of players on the field is a factor to consider.
In the synthetic, he explains, the athlete’s foot tends to get more attached to the surface, a characteristic that increases traction and allows the individual to develop more strength in his movement.
On the other hand, the possibility that the player feels a kind of lock in the foot while trying to move quickly is much larger than natural, says Serrão.
“The higher the athlete’s speed, the more impactful the differences in the game between the lawns are,” said Serrão.
At the center of the discussion is also the difficulty in maintaining a natural lawn of quality in a stadium.
“Our fight is to have a natural lawn of quality. We can’t cover the sun with the sieve. [dizer]: ‘There’s bad lawn, let’s make synthetic lawn, that’s it, it’s over’. No. You have to have a good lawn. People ask if I prefer to play in a bumpy lawn than in synthetic. No. I prefer to play in a good natural lawn, “said Lucas Moura.
In this respect, the issue is financial and management. Agronomist specializing in lawns, Maristela Kuhn stated that the poor quality of the grass of some stadiums is mainly due to the lack of maintenance, budget and excessive load of use.
Soil compaction, root rot, nutritional deficiency, decreased leaf development, increased pests and diseases are some of the problems that can affect stadium lawns, added André Ferretti, forest engineer and biodiversity economy manager of the Boticário Group Foundation.
“If you have excellent lawn maintenance, a reduced load and smaller shows, you will have good lawns, and this has a lot to do with budget. There are lawns in Brazil that have an excellent condition all year round. They are clubs of Series A that have few shows, good budget and excellent maintenance, “says Maristela, who serves teams from the Brazilian Championship.
She also says that one option to consider is to follow the stadium model in the United States, where there is already a budget expected to change the lawn right after a major event. “Want a high use load? You will need to have a high budget to be able to recover or change the entire lawn after use.”
In recent years, Brazilian clubs have been increasingly valid for events with no relationship with football to increase their revenue, being forced to send their matches away from home.
São Paulo, for example, has an agreement with the live promoter Live Nation to host shows by famous artists in Morumbi that is expected to yield about $ 15 million to the club in 2025.
As a basis for comparison, playing as home team in the last classic against Corinthians in late January for the Paulista Championship, São Paulo had a gross income of approximately R $ 3.3 million, when almost 55,000 fans accompanied the home’s victory by 3 to 1.
After a concert by Colombian singer Shakira on the 13th, Morumbi’s lawn was punished.
“There were some parts that had a different color, but the quality was very good. And this is a proof that if you have goodwill, effort, a little investment and common sense, you can take care of the lawn,” said Lucas Moura.
The lower cost of maintenance of artificial lawn is often pointed as one of its differentials.
Athletico Paranaense, for example, reported that the maintenance of Ligga Arena’s artificial lawn was around $ 200,000 per year. With the natural grass, only the electricity expenditure for artificial lighting reached R $ 1.2 million.
Ferretti also cited the impact of climate change among the causes on the poor quality of Brazilian lawns.
According to him, over the last three decades, there have been a larger number of days with strong heat – less than 10 days a year until the late 1980s to more than 50 days a year today – and a change in the quantity and distribution of Rainfall, with a reduction of 10% to 40% in the Northeast, Central and part of the Southeast, and an increase of 10% to 30% in the southern region and part of the states of São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul.
The forest engineer stated that this requires adaptations in the management of the lawns, from ground and irrigation, through drainage, fertilization and rest time between games, to the variety of grass used.
“The same impact occurs in agriculture, which requires adaptations in crop management, genetic improvement of plants, change of cultivated species, among other practices,” says Ferretti.
