Why are you criticizing the players? They just answered a damn question that was asked by a journalist, ffs! If you want to criticize someone then criticized the journalist that asked them...

nichabr wrote:The pitch was fine IMO.....This is getting sad everytime someone complains about a pitch its because they are sore over something both teams play on the same pitch both teams are affected the same way yet one complains as if its blasphemous.

both teams play on the same pitch, but are not affected the same way tiki taka= pass pass, so if the passes are slow hey are easly cut out/are not accurate enough.

no one is saying italy were at an advantage and didnt deserve a draw, iniesta is just claiming the face here.

there is reason why every laliga team (except bilbao), lefft the pitch, dry and slow vs barca---itsa very effecive way to limit a passig team

I think it's both legit.

First of all, the pitches should be near perfect for the Euros. Period.

Secondly, it affects both teams, so it's totally legit to say the pitch was bad, and Iniesta didn't blame the draw on the pitch, so he made a fair point. Period.

That doesn't mean Spain would've won with a better pitch, because Italy sure as hell would've been able to counter faster, and the Spanish pressing would've suffered as well. Period.

I don't remember so many knights in shining armour being present when Arsenal went to the San Siro

Lex wrote:I don't remember so many knights in shining armour being present when Arsenal went to the San Siro

Well we're not barca or Spain apparently things need to be perfect for them but everyone else no one cares.

Seriously u people need to get over this tiki taka bullshit, since when was Spain the only country that could play football.

Italy's football was great in the game, at the end of the day they should stop complaining.

It's all they ever do if things don't go there way.

So over it.

What I never understand is the sense of entitlement...

I'm sure the Irish would love the pitch to more closely resemble a freshly ploughed cabbage field...it would suit their football.

To be honest a great Violinist can make a poor quality Violin sound top class, a great artist can draw as well with a Biro as a expensive drafting pencil. You know, in life you adapt, situations are not always perfect.

Iniesta doesn't say this because it suits his style of football most, but because he believes to his core that football is spectacle, and if the pitch gets in the way of spectacle (as it did, the ball moved very slowly, Ballack mentioned it for the ESPN halftime talk) then it's not apt for top-class football.

Pirlo also complained about the pitch, so what's the big deal?
http://www.marca.com/2012/06/10/futbol/eurocopa_2012/italia/1339359660.html

Pirlo also complained about the pitch..so now stop crucifying Iniesta for stating the truth.

Still the best game of the tournament so far, pitch wasn't a perfect billiard table style surface, granted, but I can't remember players losing their footing much or occasions when the pitch seemed to be cutting up much.

Hardly a 'disaster' though in my eyes, in the other game there was heavy rain, maybe this was also forecast in Gdansk, a quagmire would have been worse.

gondov wrote: everyone should stop pretending here, anyone smart enough could se that the pitch was very slow compared to other euro games.

we have seen so many times with barca in la liga, teams (even real madrid/ac milan did it vs barca) leaving grass high, not watering. has a very significant effect on spain's passing game.

of cause italy also played well but if it were a faster pitch things would have been different

Oh come on. What silliness.

Adit wrote:Pirlo also complained about the pitch..so now stop crucifying Iniesta for stating the truth.

But but the pitch both teams

Was the pitch in charge of the Spanish squad selection... I'm confused.

donttreadonred wrote:Was the pitch in charge of the Spanish squad selection... I'm confused.

It must have been in charge of Italys squad selection seeing as Pirlo complained as well..

harhar11 wrote:

donttreadonred wrote:Was the pitch in charge of the Spanish squad selection... I'm confused.

It must have been in charge of Italys squad selection seeing as Pirlo complained as well..

Must just hate Spain then, because it picked 6 CM's against a system that has weaknesses against wide play...

Seriously... I understand what VDB was trying to do for the game of football, but that just doesn't make sense. The squad he picked was always going to drift inside. They need to stop blaming the pitch and look at the tactics.

I have watched every euro game so far and during every pre-match talk i see sprinklers on in the background for every pitch so far except for spain-italy game. even polish FA said ''usually we water the pitch, but italy wanted it dry cz it suited them ,and obviously the rules say both teams need to agree for the pitch to be watered. i wonder if italy ask for an unwatered pitch vs Ireland!!!

now my question is-- if every team in the tournament is going to request an unwatered pitch vs spain, isn't Spain at a disadvantage then????????

gondov wrote:I have watched every euro game so far and during every pre-match talk i see sprinklers on in the background for every pitch so far except for spain-italy game. even polish FA said ''usually we water the pitch, but italy wanted it dry cz it suited them ,and obviously the rules say both teams need to agree for the pitch to be watered. i wonder if italy ask for an unwatered pitch vs Ireland!!!

now my question is-- if every team in the tournament is going to request an unwatered pitch vs spain, isn't Spain at a disadvantage then????????

I have never heard such nonsense. On a neutral ground the pitch should be played on as it is . If it is raining it is wet, if it is not raining it is dry. Flooding a pitch for water polo is ridiculous.

leemhuis wrote:

gondov wrote:I have watched every euro game so far and during every pre-match talk i see sprinklers on in the background for every pitch so far except for spain-italy game. even polish FA said ''usually we water the pitch, but italy wanted it dry cz it suited them ,and obviously the rules say both teams need to agree for the pitch to be watered. i wonder if italy ask for an unwatered pitch vs Ireland!!!

now my question is-- if every team in the tournament is going to request an unwatered pitch vs spain, isn't Spain at a disadvantage then????????

I have never heard such nonsense. On a neutral ground the pitch should be played on as it is . If it is raining it is wet, if it is not raining it is dry. Flooding a pitch for water polo is ridiculous.

so how come every other pitch is being watered. watch any pre-match talk or halfime, sprinklers can be clearly seen in the background. why do u think they are doing this??? just cz they love some gardening, i doubt it. every professional plater knows its better to pass, dribble on a slick/fast surface. just cause they got a good result from it, so no oone is saying shit.

leemhuis wrote:I have never heard such nonsense. On a neutral ground the pitch should be played on as it is . If it is raining it is wet, if it is not raining it is dry. Flooding a pitch for water polo is ridiculous.

Agreed. Pitch treatment should be standard in an international tournament. Either water it, or not for every match in good conditions. But, do not cave to one team's request either way.

I don't care about the pitch lol, but it's pretty clear Italy decided they didn't want it watered, and they, as everyone other team will in the future got their way.

But at the end of the day it doesn't matter.....it's not like they were playing on a potato field...it was a decent pitch.....it wasn't a disaster.

Our players are spoilt.

I don't care about the pitch lol, but it's pretty clear Italy decided they didn't want it watered, and they, as everyone other team will in the future got their way.

But at the end of the day it doesn't matter.....it's not like they were playing on a potato field...it was a decent pitch.....it wasn't a disaster.

Our players are spoilt.

donttreadonred wrote:

leemhuis wrote:I have never heard such nonsense. On a neutral ground the pitch should be played on as it is . If it is raining it is wet, if it is not raining it is dry. Flooding a pitch for water polo is ridiculous.

Agreed. Pitch treatment should be standard in an international tournament. Either water it, or not for every match in good conditions. But, do not cave to one team's request either way.

Well if the norm was followed the Pitch would actually have been watered.

It's just a loophole in the regulations, denying the request for the pitch to be watered is in effect the same as requesting for it not to be watered,

Le Samourai wrote:I don't care about the pitch lol, but it's pretty clear Italy decided they didn't want it watered, and they, as everyone other team will in the future got their way.

But at the end of the day it doesn't matter.....it's not like they were playing on a potato field...it was a decent pitch.....it wasn't a disaster.

Our players are spoilt.

donttreadonred wrote:

leemhuis wrote:I have never heard such nonsense. On a neutral ground the pitch should be played on as it is . If it is raining it is wet, if it is not raining it is dry. Flooding a pitch for water polo is ridiculous.

Agreed. Pitch treatment should be standard in an international tournament. Either water it, or not for every match in good conditions. But, do not cave to one team's request either way.

Well if the norm was followed the Pitch would actually have been watered.

It's just a loophole in the regulations, denying the request for the pitch to be watered is in effect the same as requesting for it not to be watered,

I get it. I'm saying they need to get rid of the loophole. It's stupid to argue about the pitch. Both teams are highly paid, highly skilled professionals. They can deal with it. The pitch doesn't decide the match. The player's performances, and the coach's tactics do that. They're now looking for anything to blame besides themselves, and I'm sick of it.

Standardize the process and eliminate the whining.

all la liga teams ,bar Bilbao, have been using the same tactic to hinder/slow barca 'AWAY' the entire season. I doubt all these clubs just wanna save water bills when barca are in town.


Everyone thinks barca players are just being winny little divas but they are stating facts. Im guessing the madrid players wen't so vocal on this issue bcz mourinho has used the very same tactics to try and hinder barca's game Even during the so called ''non-passing/non-tiki taka teams' u see sprinklers b4 and during halftime. If its something non-significant on the game, why blooy do it???????????

And actually i think spain lodged a formal complaint to UEFA. well according to AS

Poland: We didn't water the pitch because Italy asked us not to.
http://www.marca.com/2012/06/11/futbol/eurocopa_2012/espana/1339410956.html

The plot thickens