Beth Mead says that the field of the state of Real Madrid was “not good enough” for women's football for the quarter -final victory of the Champions League – and shows how far the game is yet to go.
Real Madrid defeated Arsenal 2-0 in Tuesday's League League quarterfinals first stage, but the fall-out of the game focused on the bad playing conditions.
Gunners -Baas Renee Slees said that the field played a role in the defeat, while the real midfielder Melanie Leupolz was injured with what looked like a serious knee injury after the ball sliding away.
The state of the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium -Pitch criticized Arsenal -legend Ian Wright, who burned it a shame, while the Player's Football Association (PFA) said it endangered the safety of the players.
“It has been a long time since I had to play on a field that felt so in my career,” Mead told Sky Sports News from Arsenal's Club Shop on Thursday.
“It is disappointing for a quarterfinals of a Champions League. It is a pitch in which both the US and Real Madrid had to play and it is not just the state of the field, it is not for the safety of the players. And it was not ideal. Melanie Leupolz was injured in the ball because she slipped on the field.”
Only a few days earlier there was criticism of the Pitch from Derby County, which organized the Chelsea Continental Cup final last weekend on Manchester City.
“It's the same for the Conti Cup final – it's not good enough for what we want to show in the women's game,” Mead added. “Hopefully it's something that will be remedied soon.
“The women's game is in such a good place, but in the end we still have a long way to go. These are the barriers we are dealing with.
“If you look at a quarter -final of a Champions League in the men's game, you wouldn't see those conditions. So why would you see them in the women's game, if they do exactly the same?”
Arsenal will really welcome the second stage in the Emirates Stadium next week, the same location where the men's team plays all their home games.
“They have dealt better with the requirements of the field than what we did at the time,” said Mead. “That is clearly a disappointment on our part, but we have the second stage, so we have to put a performance on the Emirates here.
“We are confident as a team, we know we are good enough. Now we have to be ruthless for the goal, it is what we have to do in the leg now that we are two goals behind. We have to score goals to get back into the game.”
How football responded to Real Madrid's field
The former Arsenal Men's Striker Ian Wright live to Instagram Live in the first half of Tuesday's quarterfinals, said: “This is worse than Derby's Pitch recently.
“This is a ******* shame the pitches on which these girls have to play.”
And on Wednesday evening, the Professional Footballers Association [PFA] joined the pitch in criticism.
A spokesperson told Sky Sports News: “Pitches like these not only affect the quality of the game, they endanger the safety of players.
“On several occasions in recent days, in important ties, our members have been asked to play in sub -standard circumstances. Players of World Class earn standards of world class, and they are right to expect better.”
Real Madrid did not use their most important Santiago Bernabeu Stadium for the match against Arsenal
Asked for the call not to use the stadium, Arsenal Boss Slegers said: “It is not up to me to criticize. That is clearly a club decision and I am sure UEFA is trying to create the best conditions for the tournament.
“Of course the weather is not under control, but I think we have seen a few games lately where the pitch conditions have not been great and I think that is the next step for women's football.
“We talked about it with the players before the game. We knew the condition of the field. So we had a plan for it, but then it is always difficult, because about a season and after time you work on things, and you have an identity, the way you want to do things.
“So then the reality and these conditions come and suddenly you have to do things differently, so that's difficult. But the players tried it, so all the honor of them for trying and their working speed.
“But again, I think we are all sure that we can do something against them at the Emirates at home because it is just the peace.”
Sky Sports News reporter Anton Toloui placed after the game on X to criticize the decision to let the match go in the Alfredo di Stefano stage.
“This field is barely enough for Sunday League, let alone a quarterfinals of the Champions League,” he wrote.
“Thinking that it's ok, sends the following message: we don't care about the safety of players, we don't care about the quality of the game … We just don't care.”
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