Real Madrid send English groundsman Paul Burgess to inspect pitches

Editorialin Football

paul burgess
Real Madrid have sent their English Galactico groundsman Paul Burgess to sort out the pitches they will have to play on during the Club World Cup after serious concerns that their players would be risking injury on sub-standard surfaces.

Madrid are due to fly out to Morocco on December 14 for the seven-team tournament that could see them win their fourth trophy of the year but there are real concerns that their season will be derailed by serious injury to top players because of the state of the pitch at Rabat where they play their semi-final on December 16 against the winner of Cruz Azul from Mexico and Western Sydney Wanderers.

Real 'signed' Burgess from Arsenal in 2009 after he had excelled in the Premier League and Madrid saw him as the cure for on-going problems with their own Santiago Bernabeu pitch.

Real Madrid are concerned their players could pick up injuries playing on poor quality pitches.

He has produced the perfect playing surface in Madrid for Manuel Pellegrini, Jose Mourinho and now Carlo Ancelotti but he also inspects the pitches Madrid have to play on beyond Spanish borders.

Burgess visited the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium which is home to FAR Rabat at the end of October and returned and was not impressed with what he saw. The venue will host the first three matches of the tournament and then Madrid's semi-final.

Burgess is over-seeing urgent repair work on the playing surface which Real's potential rivals in the World Club Cup final, San Lorenzo, will not have to play on because they play their semi-final in Marrakech where the final will also be held.

Read more: Daily Mail

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