IAN WRIGHT branded Real Madrid’s pitch a “f***ing disgrace” as Arsenal’s Champions League bid got stuck in the mud.
The Gunners icon said the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium’s surface was worse than the Pride Park pitch, where Chelsea beat Manchester City in Saturday’s League Cup final.
Ian Wright was appalled by the condition at Real Madrid’s home ground where the Spanish club hosted their Champions League duel with ArsenalSportsfile
GettyThe wet conditions on the pitch left players covered in mud during the quarter-final first-leg clash[/caption]
GettyArsenal hope to overturn a 2-0 deficit when the team’s meet next Wednesday in the second leg at the Emirates[/caption]
Goals from Real strikers Linda Caicedo and Athenea del Castillo saw Arsenal fall to a quarter-final first-leg defeat.
The drenched pitch at the rain-soaked Alfredo di Stefano Stadium, left the Gunners’ women stars and their opponents splattered in mud with some players slipping due to its conditions.
In the second half Madrid midfielder and ex-Chelsea ace Melanie Leupolz went off after hurting her knee she attempted to clear the ball up field.
In an Instagram video, Women’s Super League ambassador Wright said: “It’s a f***ing disgrace, the pitches these girls have to play on.”
Light wind and rain had been forecast in Spain’s capital ahead of yesterday’s game.
However conditions were very wet ahead of the 5:45pm kick-off.
Arsenal boss Renee Slegers said: “We knew the condition of the pitch.
“We had a plan for it but then it’s always hard because over a season and over time you work on things and you have an identity the way you want to do things.
GettyRenee Slegers has backed Arsenal to turn things around in their decisive second-leg quarters clash[/caption]
“So then reality comes and these conditions come and all of a sudden you need to do things differently so that’s hard.”
Arsenal will battle to try and overturn the deficit in next Wednesday’s second leg at the Emirates.
Slegers added: “We’re all confident we can do something against them at the Emirates because it’s only half time.”
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