Nina Droff, edited by Solène Delinger 12:18 p.m., August 17, 2022
The Indre-et-Loire prefecture has decided since the beginning of the summer to no longer water the Villeperdue football pitch.
The city's football club "understands" this decision to save drinking water in times of drought, but is worried.
He is indeed playing the second round of the Coupe de France on August 28th.
The prefecture has decided since the beginning of the summer to no longer water the Villeperdue football pitch.
The city's football club "understands" this decision to save drinking water in times of drought, but is worried.
Because he is playing the second round of the Coupe de France on August 28th.
At the microphone of Europe 1, Mayor Frédéric Dupey explains his concerns and is considering several ways to remedy this situation.
"The grass is yellow"
"We have a football pitch and in good condition, it is completely grilled, the grass is yellow", describes Frédéric Dupey at the microphone of Europe 1. "There are two things that play: there is the visible part , it is the grass which constitutes a shock absorber during all the phases of the game, whether for the players or for the goalkeepers. And then, the layer of earth or sand which is underneath, which when it is very dry and very hard, it doesn't have the same resonance at all. So it can create problems of sprains, tendonitis, or even bigger injuries. Playing on a pitch, even with suitable crampons , it does not solve the difficulty of playing on a dry ground like that, he laments.
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The synthetic turf option
Can the land be used on August 28 for the football match?
The mayor of Villeperdue in doubt.
"I confess that, in the current state of things, with this drought and the state of the ground, I do not see a short-term solution", he confides.
The only solution would be for the prefecture to authorize watering by August 28.
Frédéric Dupey is also considering the option of synthetic turf.
"We have neighbors who could lend us a synthetic field. But, will a football club be authorized to play this kind of match on a synthetic field?", He asks.
And then, according to him, there would be "a third solution which is starting to become interesting": the recovery of wastewater to be used in the context of watering.
"It may be a solution for the future. It's still a track," he concludes.