Is This Diego Simeone’s New Tactic? The Metropolitano Under the Microscope
The poor condition of the pitch, along with goalkeeper mistakes in key matches, is raising suspicions.
Carlos Salvador Bilardo would be proud. After the glaring mistakes by Antonín Kinský in the Champions League, the spotlight has shifted to the Metropolitano’s pitch, something Joan García had already struggled with in the Copa del Rey semifinal.
Some believe the club itself might be leaving the field in poor condition so visiting teams have to deal with it, in what could be seen as a very South American–style tactic. Antoine Griezmann himself mentioned, after the match against Tottenham, that they are already used to playing on that surface.
A Problem That Isn’t New
This, of course, is nothing new. The Metropolitano pitch has not been in good condition for quite some time. The same French forward pointed it out after the rout against Real Betis in Seville, where he praised the condition of the opponent’s grass while also complaining about his own.
However, the reason could be much simpler to explain. In Spain, the weather has not been the best in recent months, which makes the groundskeepers’ job much harder as they struggle to keep the pitch in optimal condition.
Turf Changes and a Demanding Schedule
Another factor is that the turf is usually replaced toward the end of the season. This time, the replacement did not go as expected and, on top of that, a change was brought forward in November so the Miami Dolphins could train at the stadium, further complicating the situation.
What raises suspicion for many is that there have already been two key matches where goalkeeper mistakes were seen, and in both cases Atlético de Madrid managed to gain an important advantage on a pitch that was far from perfect.
They, as Antoine Griezmann mentioned, are already used to it. And for someone like Diego Simeone, shaped in a football school where every detail matters — very much in line with Carlos Salvador Bilardo — anything that helps win eventually becomes part of the game.
In the end, the Metropolitano plays like an extra man.
The question now seems inevitable: will the grass be fixed in the coming weeks, or will it continue playing in favor of Atlético de Madrid? ⚽
