On July 6, England captain Harry Kane revealed that he had cautioned his teammates before the start of the European Championship about the subpar condition of the pitches.
The quarter-final match between England and Switzerland will take place at the Esprit Arena in Dusseldorf. The pitch there has already been relaid twice but failed to meet UEFA’s match standards, necessitating a third relaying.
Kane mentioned that he had previously discussed the issue with his teammates: “It’s something I spoke to the boys about before the tournament. I experienced it last season in the Bundesliga. It’s not something I can control, I’m not pointing fingers; everyone is trying to do their best. But for various reasons, the pitches haven’t been at the level they should be. From our perspective, it’s not an excuse because everyone has to deal with it.”
Kane also believes that the pitch conditions have contributed to a decrease in both goal-scoring and overall competitive level during this edition of the Euros.