Arsenal unhappy with grass on Atletico Madrid pitch before Champions League match
Arsenal’s ground staff were checking the height of the grass at the Metropolitano Stadium (CBS Sports)
Arsenal raised concerns over the length of the grass at the Metropolitano Stadium hours before their Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid.
With an hour to go before kick-off, CBS Sports showed footage of Arsenal’sground staff inspecting the pitch with a device which measures the height of the surface.
UEFA’s rules state that the height of the grass must not exceed 30mm and the entire playing surface must be cut to the same level.
CBS Sports reporter Guillem Balague revealed that Arsenal asked UEFA to carry out an inspection, which confirmed that the pitch has been cut to 26mm.
‘I need to tell you about the grass war that took place just about an hour ago,’ Balague said.
Arsenal requested that UEFA inspect the pitch at the Metropolitano to confirm the length of the grass 🌿@GuillemBalague and @delpieroale discuss the “grass war” that took place prematch 😅 pic.twitter.com/sGNeJNxxjb
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 29, 2026
‘Arsenal’s ground staff came in thinking the grass is too high, ‘we’re not happy with it’.
‘They asked UEFA to actually measure it. They thought it was [Diego] Simeone creating some dark arts.
‘After a while, UEFA said ‘no, it’s actually 26mm’. The limit is 30mm. It’s 21-30mm. By the way, it was the same as when they played Barcelona here.’
Earlier this month, Barcelona had also complained about the length of the grass Metropolitano Stadium ahead of their Champions League quarter-final tie against Atletico.
Barcelona’s head coach, Hansi Flick, was seen discussing the pitch UEFA’s match delegate during the team’s final training session.
However, Atletico had not breached UEFA’s ruled as the pitch was cut to 26mm.
Managers raise concerns over the height of the grass as a longer playing surface slows down the speed of the ball, making it more difficult for teams with a fast-passing style of play.
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