New surface for the Bridge

Editorin Football

Blues look for the perfect pitch

Chelsea are spending around £100,000 on relaying the Stamford Bridge pitch after this Saturday's home game against Charlton, but it will only be a stop-gap solution. The club's managing director Trevor Birch has confirmed that coach Claudio Ranieri's biggest frustration will end following the Premiership game against the Addicks.
Ranieri had warned that the state of the pitch could force him to change his team's playing style if urgent action was not forthcoming.
He said: "The team like to play the ball on the floor, but now it's not possible. The pitch can change everything and we may have to be more direct. I imagine the pitch will be like a swimming pool!"

The club is hoping to finalise a long-term plan to avoid similar problems occurring in the future.

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