It is not only the Red Devils, the Belgian national football squad, that are representing the country at the World Cup. The turf in many stadiums across the US, Canada and Mexico is also in sound Flemish hands. ‘That expertise is lacking in the US.’
Flemish company maintains turf at World Cup stadiums: ‘Americans know little about football fields’
Colin Clapson
Published:
The World Cup is approaching fast. From 11 June to 19 July, national teams from all over the world will compete for the title on football pitches across Canada, Mexico and the US.
What the average fan might not think about are the pitches themselves. In the US in particular, many challenges are involved in getting them ready for play. ‘In the US, there is artificial turf everywhere, so those pitches need to be converted,’ explains Marc Vercammen (pictured), the manager of the Flemish company Grassmax.
‘Since 2018, FIFA has enforced a requirement that every pitch at a high-level tournament must be fitted with hybrid grass technology.’ This technology involves injecting 20 million synthetic fibres into natural grass to strengthen it and make it more resistant to intensive use.
Grassmax, a Flemish company based in Zele (East Flanders), specialises in this technique, a fact that has clearly not gone unnoticed by the Americans. ‘We are reinforcing natural grass in the stadiums in Dallas, Houston and Mexico,’ says Vercammen. ‘We did the same for the stadium used for the World Cup final in Qatar.’
Flemings meet challenge with enthusiasm
This is no easy task. “Many pitches are located under a dome and are therefore completely enclosed. In addition to grass reinforcement, you also need grow lights to keep natural grass alive and in top condition. And that is not straightforward in an environment where natural grass is not accustomed to such conditions.”
Grassmax is not the only Belgian company helping to create an unforgettable football experience. Football club KRC Genk’s grounds manager, Eddy Van Endert, is also in the US to look after the pitch at the AT&T Stadium, the largest stadium of the World Cup.
It should come as no surprise that Belgian technology is involved, Vercammen explains. ‘FIFA hires a lot of groundskeepers from Europe, because that’s where the real expertise is. The Americans know everything about golf courses, but nothing about football pitches.’
Nevertheless, the technology used will only be on display for a few weeks, as everything will be replaced after the World Cup. ‘The pitches need to be ready again for American football on artificial turf, and these are often multi-purpose event venues as well,’ concludes the Belgian entrepreneur.