Feyenoord takes the lead in the field competition of the players’ union VVCS. The grass field in De Kuip has been rated the best by captains in the Eredivisie for seven years in a row and is back at the top halfway through the 2021/22 season, although the lead over Ajax is small. The three synthetic turf pitches in the Eredivisie are the least popular with the captains of the clubs.
After each round, the captains of the away clubs send a message to VVCS chairman Evgeniy Levchenko with an assessment of the grass field. The ratings can vary from 1 to 5. Feyenoord (average 4.67), Ajax (4.63), PSV (4.13), AZ and FC Twente (both a 4) form the top five halfway through the competition.
SC Cambuur (1.89), Heracles Almelo (1.38) and Sparta Rotterdam (1.22) have the worst fields in the eyes of the captains. It is no coincidence that only those three clubs play on artificial grass. Incidentally, Sparta announced this week that it would be playing on natural grass from next season. The lowest rated natural grass pitch is Fortuna Sittard, with an average score of 2.88.
Last week, captains Dusan Tadic and Marco van Ginkel of Ajax and PSV respectively turned against the synthetic turf pitches. “It’s like playing on the moon. Artificial grass beats the heart out of football,” Tadic said in an interview with Football International. “I don’t even play on artificial grass anymore, after all my injuries,” added Van Ginkel.
Standings field competition 2021/22
| Position | Club | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Feyenoord | 4.67 |
| 2. | Ajax | 4.63 |
| 3. | PSV | 4.13 |
| 4. | AZ | 4 |
| – | FC Twente | 4 |
| 6. | Fc Groningen | 3.88 |
| 7. | PEC Zwolle | 3.75 |
| 8. | FC Utrecht | 3.71 |
| 9. | NEC | 3.43 |
| – | William II | 3.43 |
| 11. | RKC Waalwijk | 3.22 |
| 12. | Vitesse | 3.14 |
| 13. | Go Ahead Eagles | 3.11 |
| 14. | sc Heerenveen | 3 |
| 15. | Fortuna Sittard | 2.88 |
| 16. | SC Cambuur | 1.89 |
| 17. | Heracles Almelo | 1.38 |
| 18. | Sparta Rotterdam | 1.22 |