The Maracana will use hybrid grass in 2022; At an estimated cost of R$4 million and will take 90 days | football

The stadium has been subjected to many criticisms related to the quality of the stadium throughout the current year, and it is a chronic problem that has not been resolved by changes and treatment of the stadium throughout the season.

It is a necessary intervention, as the volume of matches played on the field as well as the interference with the weather were key factors. Severiano Braga, CEO of Maracanã, said it would take nearly three months of work for the lawn to be ready as soon as possible, without compromising the 2022 calendar.

“Hybrid turf” is a mixture of natural grass reinforced with polyethylene fibres, which is injected 18 cm and centimeters deep above the surface of the playing field and is used in many high-end stadiums in Europe. “The technology of this system creates a ‘contact’ between the synthetic threads and the natural grass using special equipment,” the statement says.

The investment in this business will be entirely financed by Maracanã itself, without any contribution from the clubs, and the estimated value is R$4 million, the company that operates the stadium has informed.

Maracanã has been jointly managed by the duo Fla-Flu since April 2019. The Rio de Janeiro state government renewed the concession at the end of November for another six months.

The Maracana has decided to use hybrid grass and installation will start in December

The Maracanã management continues its continuous analysis of the results and makes the necessary adjustments to improve the breadth of actions on the field. In accordance with the principle of walking on initiatives that work and fix what can be improved, this administration decided that it would use hybrid turf (natural grass reinforced with synthetic fibres), which is the same as most European stadiums have adopted.

The decision to use hybrid turf came after all efforts to keep the turf in good condition, for as long as possible throughout the season and after assessments, based on an equation that includes the climatic characteristics of the state of Rio de Janeiro and the number of matches played annually on the field, the most used in any country for football matches.

The Grassmax system combines natural grass and synthetic fibers to ensure consistency all season. In other words, it is a 100% natural grass of the Celebration Shorts type, reinforced with polyethylene fibers, which are injected 18 cm and centimeters deep above the field surface. The technology of this system performs a “stitch” between the artificial threads and natural grass using special equipment.

First, we have the removal of 15 cm of the existing lawn, then comes the cleaning of the entire area and preparation for receiving a new layer of sand with a suitable and uniform grain size. After that, the leveling of the new sand layer is carried out by laser by checking the pruning. Finally, the lawn is planted in sprigs, herbaceous seedlings consisting of leaves, roots, rhizomes, and rhizomes without the presence of soil. A few days after planting and the formation of the new lawn, the work of sewing threads into the soil begins.

This system always ensures a uniform surface, has greater efficiency and resistance to trampling, maintains more playing hours per year than the classic non-reinforced surface and is responsible not only for drainage, but also for regulating the amount of water and soil temperature, and for improving the growth conditions of the lawn.

Installation of the new lawn will begin at the end of this year’s season, and will take approximately 90 days to complete. “It is a necessary intervention, which as major factors had the volume of matches played in the stadium as well as interference with the weather. Severiano Braga, CEO of Maracanã, says that it will take approximately three months of work for the turf to be ready as soon as possible, Without compromising the 2022 calendar.