Conditions hurt Arsenal as Wright says pitch a 'disgrace'

Real Madrid's Maria Mendez in action with Arsenal's Chloe Kelly — The match was played in teeming rain in Madrid [Reuters]

Arsenal boss Renee Slegers says the "next step for women's football" is to have better pitches after Gunners legend Ian Wright described Real Madrid's playing surface as a "disgrace".

Wright made his feelings known during Arsenal's 2-0 Women's Champions League quarter-final first-leg defeat at the Estadio Alfredo di Stefano.

Playing conditions at the home of Real Madrid men's reserves deteriorated at a rapid rate, making free-flowing football difficult for both sides.

Wright's criticism on social media came after complaints from Chelsea players and pundits about the pitch for the Women's League Cup final at Derby County's Pride Park last Saturday.

Former Netherlands midfielder Slegers admitted the wet and muddy conditions against Real Madrid played their part in her side's defeat on Tuesday.

The return leg will be played at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium on 26 March.

Asked whether Real Madrid's main Bernabeu stadium should have been used for the first leg, Slegers added: "It's not on me to criticise.

"It's obviously a club decision and I'm sure that Uefa is trying to create the best conditions for the tournament. Of course, the weather is not always in our control.

"But I think we've seen a couple of games lately where the pitch conditions haven't been great and I think that's the next step for women's football to take."

Slegers, who was appointed permanent Arsenal head coach in January after an impressive interim spell, added: "We knew the condition of the pitch. We spoke about it with the players before the game.

"So we had a plan for it, but then it's always hard because over a season and over time you work on things and you have an identity, the way you want to do things.

"So then reality comes and these conditions come and all of a sudden you need to do things differently so that's hard."

What did Wright say?

Melanie Leupolz of Real Madrid was covered in mud by the time she was substituted [Getty Images]

Former England striker Wright, who scored 185 goals in 288 appearances for Arsenal between 1991 and 1998, posted a video on social media during the women's team's game on Tuesday.

The conditions in Madrid were not helped by heavy rain that caused the pitch to easily cut up.

"Watching the Champions League quarter-final. Real Madrid's pitch - this is worse than Derby's pitch the other day in the Conti Cup final," added Wright.

"This is a disgrace the pitches these girls have to play on."

Former Leeds striker Lucy Ward, who was working on the match for TNT Sports, was also critical.

"I'm watching players who usually deal with the ball well, struggle to come to terms with it in these first 10 minutes," she said.

"This pitch is awful."

Last Saturday Chelsea midfielder Erin Cuthbert said Derby's Pride Park pitch was "not fit for a final" after her side beat Manchester City 2-1.

Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor added: "I'm not sure if it was a men's final game it would be the same. We just need to make sure we have the best facilities and grass to play the games."

'It needs to be better'

Former England striker Ellen White says it is important for women's football that the standard of pitches improves – to help both the product and for the safety of the players.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Women's Football Weekly podcast, White said: "We've seen the men's League Cup final at Wembley, and I'm not saying it has to be at Wembley, but I just think to keep growing our game and the standards you know [we need to] keep hammering that home that I think it needs to be better, it needs to be looked at."

Unlike the men's League Cup final, which is played at Wembley, the women's has no permanent home, with organisers wanting to bring the event to different areas of the country.

Former Arsenal defender Jen Beattie, speaking on the same programme, said the state of the pitch for Saturday's cup final overshadowed the match.

"Ultimately, we're trying to get the best product of football, it's a huge game, two great footballing teams and you want it to be a good spectacle to watch," Beattie said.

"I still enjoyed watching it, don't get me wrong, but it's hard when the conversation after the game is about the pitch, and not about the players and highlighting the performances and how good they are as players, that was the frustration for me."

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