The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Facilities Corporation will urgently restore the grass at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, which has sparked controversy over 'weedy grass.' This follows incidents during the K League1 Round 3 match on the 3rd between FC Seoul and Gimcheon Sangmu, where players frequently stumbled on the grass.
Immediately after the match on the 3rd, FC Seoul player Jesse Lingard shared a scene on his social media where he dribbled next to the deeply gouged grass, attaching an emoticon expressing his frustration and showing himself playing golf. The Korean Professional Footballers Association issued a statement the next day, noting that "the management entity operating the ground maintenance should pay attention to the management of the field grass in order to prevent player injuries and protect the players."
In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the corporation announced on the 7th that they will normalize the grass at the Seoul World Cup Stadium by the home match of FC Seoul on the 29th. To this end, they will replace more than 2,500 square meters of grass at the Seoul World Cup Stadium with hybrid grass and improve grass density by re-soiling and seeding over an area of 5,900 square meters.
The budget to improve and manage the grass condition this year is 3.3 billion won. This is three times more than last year. They plan to secure 12,500 square meters of replaceable grass, three times more than the previous year, ready for immediate replacement if its condition deteriorates. Additionally, they plan to introduce new and additional equipment used in famous overseas stadiums to manage sunlight and ventilation and improve density.
The stadium rental method will also be improved. While cultural events such as concerts will be held, ground seating will be excluded to protect the grass. Starting in April, a 'National Football Stadium Council' (tentative name) composed of the Seoul World Cup Stadium and related agencies will also be operated. The council will discuss various issues regarding ground management, restoration measures, and infrastructure improvement for grass management in football stadiums. The Seoul Metropolitan Government stated that it plans to listen to various opinions from related agencies, experts, and research institutions regarding grass species suitable for the hot and humid weather in Seoul in the medium to long term and assess the feasibility of introducing such species.
Gu Jong-won, head of the Seoul City Tourism and Sports Bureau, said, "I am very regretful that we could not provide a proper stadium environment as the league schedule was advanced during the difficult winter period for grass management," and "I will do my utmost to ensure that players can compete under the best conditions."