Stop stigmatizing 'Ice grass'...The K League misses the "carpet turf."

Stop stigmatizing 'Ice grass'...The K League misses the "carpet turf."

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The quality of grass at K-League stadiums is facing a serious crisis. A number of players have been injured as the ground freezes due to unusual cold weather this season, and the problem of grass being thickened in hot and humid environments in summer has been going on for years. Listening to experts' opinions, it was a matter of "investment cost" and "will to manage."

" 10-year grass, Europe changes every 1-2 years"

"In Korea, grass is planted for almost 10 years," said an official from a professional baseball team. In contrast, overseas stadiums replace grass once or every two years. "Overseas clubs invest money on grass. The grass is what gives them the best performance." Page 2 of an article on I

It costs 1.5 to 2 billion won to completely replace the grass. If you replace it every 10 years, you need 150 million won per year, and if you replace it every 3 to 5 years, you need 300 to 500 million won per year. The official pointed out, "The clubs do not want to invest that much."

The cold weather has recently revealed another problem with grass management. As the ground freezes due to the cold, the surface of the grass has become hard, raising the risk of injury to players. In particular, in stadiums where proper management is not done, the soil hardens when the weather gets cold, causing players to strain their joints due to poor cushioning. A club official pointed out, "In winter, some clubs use hot air balloons and electric heating lights to protect the grass, but many clubs are not taking such measures due to cost problems."

Climate Change and the Limits of Kentucky Bluegrass

"If you compare the average temperature between 2002 and 2024, there is a difference of 5-6 degrees," said a professional team grass management service provider. "This is hard for Kentucky Bluegrass to endure." He stressed, "The temperature has risen sharply, so Kentucky Bluegrass is no longer able to withstand it."

Starting with the 2002 World Cup, Kentucky Bluegrass was introduced to Korean soccer fields. "The color of Kentucky Bluegrass looks good, and the temperature was not high at that time, so it was managed well without much cost," he said. However, due to extreme climate change, the temperature has rapidly increased in recent years, causing problems.

Kentucky bluegrass is a Korean paper grass that is strong against cold, but growth slows and diseases are likely to occur at high temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius. On the other hand, Korean grass is a warm paper and can withstand high-temperature and humid environments in summer, but in winter, it turns yellow during the dormant period.

The status of lawn management in professional teams

A professional club had to replace grass after the season ended last summer due to deteriorating grass conditions. "About two-thirds of the grass was newly installed at the end of last year," the manager said, adding that the team postponed its home games until May 11.

"The roots have to come down now, but the roots start to go down only when the weather warms in March and April," he said. "If we play in this state, it will be ruined again, so we were assigned the home game by delaying it as much as possible."

The grass management of the club is handled by an external landscaping company. General management costs alone cost 200 to 300 million won per year. The person in charge of the external landscaping company said that there are no special benefits for a corporate team.

Some professional teams have introduced blowers to cope with the hot and humid environment in summer. A club official said, "The grass dies because it is hot and humid in summer, and some clubs turn on the blowers to rotate the wind."

We need to consider switching to Korean grass

Some experts suggest planting Korean grass that has adapted to the Korean climate as an alternative. "Korean grass is easy to manage and its growth has been activated since May, making it the best in summer," a grass manager for a professional team said. "Korean grass is very strong, so you won't have to dig deep or die."

"Hybrid grass is the best way to deal with it, and if you think about the quickest way to implement it, you should change it to Korean grass," he said. However, if the system is changed to autumn and springtime, it could cause problems in winter games. Korean grasses are generally weak in cold weather. As the soil hardens, there is a risk of injury to players, and running becomes more difficult is a disadvantage. 안전놀이터

The Korea Professional Football Association conducts grass evaluation every year, but the actual management is up to each club. "The federation evaluates and gives advice, but the actual management is done by each related company," an official said. "The federation says, 'Each club has its own situation, so do it on your own,' but from this year, if the grass is bad, they are not allowed to play at home and play at the third ball," he said. "But in most cases, we will apply the home advantage to play at home."

Experts point out that the core of grass management is ultimately a matter of perception. A club official emphasized, "CEOs or secretariat directors should really know the importance of grass." "I think most people only need to invest in players, but no matter how good the players are, their performance comes out of the grass eventually," he said.