According to reports, Enzo Maresca’s squad will face Djurgårdens IF on Thursday in an attempt to secure a spot in the European final. Chelsea has a high chance of an easy victory against their Swedish opponents. However, it has been reported that even Djurgårdens players have expressed dissatisfaction with the new pitch at the 3 Arena Stadium, believing it will complicate even the simplest passes.

Adam Stål, Djurgårdens’ winger, complained that the ball moves unnaturally on this pitch and that its surface differs significantly from their training ground. He also mentioned that even straightforward passes sometimes deviate, disrupting the game’s flow. August Priske, the team’s striker, also criticized the pitch, describing it as “challenging.”

Djurgårdens has scored only one goal in their last four matches, with some attributing this offensive decline to pitch-related issues. However, manager Jannes Hunkawarda emphasized that players must take responsibility for their poor performance. He acknowledged that the pitch has also affected training sessions. Hunkawarda told “ViaSport”: “The condition of the pitch changes every day.”

Despite Djurgårdens installing the pitch themselves, club members have proposed banning artificial turf in Swedish football. They have also suggested that Djurgårdens switch to hybrid grass at the 3 Arena. This proposal was voted on and approved in a meeting, although the board rejected the request, deeming the change “impossible.”