Latest news with #Kovač
New York Post
08-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac rails against MetLife Stadium grass: ‘You can putt here'
The complaints about the MetLife Stadium field are unrelenting. The latest came from German soccer club Borussia Dortmund after the team was eliminated by Real Madrid in the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday. 'It's more a golf green, so you can putt here,' manager Niko Kovač said after his side's 3-2 loss. 'It's very short. But this is not the grass we are used to playing on in the Bundesliga and also in the other two stadiums.' Advertisement Niko Kovač looks on during the Borussia Dortmund-Real Madrid match on July 5, 2025. FIFA via Getty Images MetLife Stadium usually has an artificial turf field when the Giants and Jets play there, but installed grass fields in order to meet FIFA's regulations for hosting games. Kovač preferred the grass fields at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Advertisement 'As you saw, the watering wasn't good enough, I would say, because you don't have the devices for that,' Kovač said of the MetLife Stadium grass. 'When it's too dry, it's unbelievable. It's sticking.' No matter where you are in the world, you can watch the FIFA Club World Cup for free on DAZN. All you need to get started is an email address. No subscription is required, but you will have to make a free account on the streamer to start watching. DAZN also has premium, paid options available to enhance your viewing experience with HDR picture, Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound, and fewer ads. DAZN Premium plans begin at $19.99/month. NFL players have long complained about the turf fields at MetLife Stadium, and the NFL Players Association last month took notice of the decision to install grass for the Club World Cup, but not for NFL games. Despite the willingness to install a grass field for other sports, Giants owner John Mara has maintained that it would not be sustainable for football, given two teams play at the stadium, the weather and the large number of other events there. Advertisement Grass fields were installed at MetLife Stadium for the Club World Cup. REUTERS 'I want to get to the point where the experts can tell us that late in the season we can have a safe, playable grass field, and when we get to that point, then maybe we'll make the switch,' Mara said at last year's NFL owners meetings. 'We're not there yet. 'With the amount of events in our building, particularly during the football season, having two teams there, and how many times last year we had back-to-back games where it rained during the first game, I can't imagine what a grass field would've looked like on a second day.'
NBC Sports
07-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Borussia Dortmund coach: MetLife soccer pitch is "more like a golf green"
Next July, MetLife Stadium will be hosting the FIFA World Cup final match. In the opinion of Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovač, the venue is more suited to hosting the PGA Championship. 'It's more a golf green, so you can putt here,' Kovač said after a 3-2 loss to Real Madrid in the Club World Cup, via Ronald Blum of the Associated Press. 'It's very short. But this is not the grass we are used to playing on in the Bundesliga and also in the other two stadiums.' Kovač is referring to matches played by Dortmund at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati and at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. 'As you saw, the watering wasn't good enough, I would say, because you don't have the devices for that.' Kovač said. 'When it's too dry, it's unbelievable. It's sticking.' Kovač also commented on the heat of the outdoor matches. When the most recent match at MetLife Stadium started, it was 86 degrees. The FIFA World Cup final is reportedly expected to start at 3:00 p.m. ET on July 19. Which means it could be very hot for the most important match in the sport.
Fox Sports
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Fox Sports
Dortmund coach Niko Kovač says MetLife Stadium field more suited to golf than to soccer
Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — In the eyes of Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovač, the MetLife Stadium field was better suited for a round of golf than a match at the Club World Cup. And the New York area's summer heat also was inappropriate for high-level soccer. 'It's more a golf green, so you can putt here," Kovač said after a 3-2 quarterfinal loss to Real Madrid on Saturday. 'It's very short. But this is not the grass we are used to playing on in the Bundesliga and also in the other two stadiums.' Dortmund played its opening group match at MetLife, the site of the Club World Cup semifinals and championship, and of next year's World Cup final. The German team played two matches at Cincinnati's TQL Stadium and its round of 16 game at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 'As you saw, the watering wasn't good enough, I would say, because you don't have the devices for that." Kovač said. 'When it's too dry, it's unbelievable. It's sticking.' FIFA said it did not have an immediate comment on Kovač's remarks. On a sunny afternoon, the temperature at the 4 p.m. kickoff was 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) in East Rutherford. Similar temperatures or higher are expected for next year's World Cup, where 11 venues are in the U.S., and most do not have roofs or air-conditioning. During the 1994 World Cup, 28 of 52 matches had kickoff times from noon to 2 p.m. EDT, better for European viewing. Kickoff times for next year's 104-game tournament are likely to be set after the draw in December. 'We played two times in Cincinnati. The first time it was 12 o'clock. The second time it was 3 p.m. and the pitch we had temperatures of around about 45 degrees (113 degrees Fahrenheit)," Kovač said. 'When the temperature is 45 degrees, this is not amazing. This is very hard for someone, and the players, they must play these games. "Today, we had 35 degrees (95 degrees Fahrenheit). It's also not much better, to be honest. But, OK, this a tournament we need to play. And I would suggest — my suggestion, that the kickoff time will be a little later. ... So the intensity is also much higher. And as a supporter, as a spectator, you would like to see intensive, aggressive, up-and-down football. So when it's too hot, then it's difficult to play this kind of football.' ___ AP soccer: recommended
San Francisco Chronicle
06-07-2025
- Climate
- San Francisco Chronicle
Dortmund coach Niko Kovač says MetLife Stadium field more suited to golf than to soccer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — In the eyes of Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovač, the MetLife Stadium field was better suited for a round of golf than a match at the Club World Cup. And the New York area's summer heat also was inappropriate for high-level soccer. 'It's more a golf green, so you can putt here," Kovač said after Saturday's 3-2 quarterfinal loss to Real Madrid. 'It's very short. But this is not the grass we are used to playing on in the Bundesliga and also in the other two stadiums.' Dortmund played its opening group match at MetLife, the site of the Club World Cup semifinals and championship, and of next year's World Cup final. The German team played two matches at Cincinnati's TQL Stadium and its round of 16 game at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 'As you saw, the watering wasn't good enough, I would say, because you don't have the devices for that." Kovač said. 'When it's too dry, it's unbelievable. It's sticking.' On a sunny afternoon, the temperature at the 3 p.m. kickoff was 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) in East Rutherford. Similar temperatures or higher are expected for next year's World Cup, where 11 venues are in the U.S., and most do not have roofs or air-conditioning. During the 1994 World Cup, 28 of 52 matches had kickoff times from noon to 2 p.m. EDT, better for European viewing. Kickoff times for next year's 104-game tournament are likely to be set after the draw in December. 'We played two times in Cincinnati. The first time it was 12 o'clock. The second time it was 3 p.m. and the pitch we had temperatures of around about 45 degrees (113 degrees Fahrenheit)," Kovač said. 'When the temperature is 45 degrees, this is not amazing. This is very hard for someone, and the players, they must play these games. "Today, we had 35 degrees (95 degrees Fahrenheit). It's also not much better, to be honest. But, OK, this a tournament we need to play. And I would suggest — my suggestion, that the kickoff time will be a little later. ... So the intensity is also much higher. And as a supporter, as a spectator, you would like to see intensive, aggressive, up-and-down football. So when it's too hot, then it's difficult to play this kind of football.' ___
Hamilton Spectator
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Hamilton Spectator
Dortmund coach Niko Kovač says MetLife Stadium field more suited to golf than to soccer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — In the eyes of Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovač, the MetLife Stadium field was better suited for a round of golf than a match at the Club World Cup. And the New York area's summer heat also was inappropriate for high-level soccer. 'It's more a golf green, so you can putt here,' Kovač said after Saturday's 3-2 quarterfinal loss to Real Madrid . 'It's very short. But this is not the grass we are used to playing on in the Bundesliga and also in the other two stadiums.' Dortmund played its opening group match at MetLife, the site of the Club World Cup semifinals and championship, and of next year's World Cup final. The German team played two matches at Cincinnati's TQL Stadium and its round of 16 game at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 'As you saw, the watering wasn't good enough, I would say, because you don't have the devices for that.' Kovač said. 'When it's too dry, it's unbelievable. It's sticking.' On a sunny afternoon, the temperature at the 3 p.m. kickoff was 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) in East Rutherford. Similar temperatures or higher are expected for next year's World Cup, where 11 venues are in the U.S., and most do not have roofs or air-conditioning. During the 1994 World Cup, 28 of 52 matches had kickoff times from noon to 2 p.m. EDT, better for European viewing. Kickoff times for next year's 104-game tournament are likely to be set after the draw in December. 'We played two times in Cincinnati. The first time it was 12 o'clock. The second time it was 3 p.m. and the pitch we had temperatures of around about 45 degrees (113 degrees Fahrenheit),' Kovač said. 'When the temperature is 45 degrees, this is not amazing. This is very hard for someone, and the players, they must play these games. 'Today, we had 35 degrees (95 degrees Fahrenheit). It's also not much better, to be honest. But, OK, this a tournament we need to play. And I would suggest — my suggestion, that the kickoff time will be a little later. ... So the intensity is also much higher. And as a supporter, as a spectator, you would like to see intensive, aggressive, up-and-down football. So when it's too hot, then it's difficult to play this kind of football.' ___ AP soccer:
