The Professional Footballers Association (PFA) claims that inadequate and unfair playing conditions jeopardise the safety of female footballers during larger games.

Last Tuesday, Arsenal played with Real Madrid in the first leg of the Women’s Champions League quarter-final at the Estadio Alfredo di Stefano. The players’ performance suffered due to unacceptable and unsafe conditions with players seen slipping constantly on the pitch’s uneven surface as it deteriorated rapidly due to extensive patches of mud.

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said about the conditions: “I think that’s just not acceptable to be able to play in that pitches – first of all because of the quality, but also and maybe mainly, because of the safety of the players.

“I think UEFA should take some decisions and should [force] the clubs to have another pitch, especially when it’s an international break for the men’s side and the big stadium is available,” she added.

Women’s stadium

Bompastor is not alone in her observation. Brighton & Hove Albion W.F.C., has revealed plans to build a stadium for their Women’s Super League team. According to the club’s CEO, Paul Barber, the plan materialized after holding discussions and investigating the safety risks on current pitches.

“There has been a lot of coverage recently on the quality of surfaces women’s footballers have been asked to play on and for us, the whole basis of building a women’s stadium is to show as much respect to the female athletes as we do to the men.”