Paris, France: Europe’s top footballing nations are set to kick-off their European Championship campaigns on pitches that have been prepared using a Koro Field Top Maker (FTM) with Universe rotor.
The competition has expanded from its usual 16-team format for the first time, extending to accommodate the growing number of member associations and allowing 24 teams to compete.
Like the players that will compete, the pitches have also had a long domestic season before being prepared for the finals and the addition of an extra eight teams will increase the number of fixtures.
This means each pitch used will endure a greater number of games and puts extra emphasis on the surfaces being in top condition for the likes of current world champions Germany, Spain and England.
The Koro FTM with the Universe rotor has been used at St Étienne and Marseille with pitch works on-going at the other venues throughout the 2015/16 domestic League 1 season.
The machine’s ability to work on a variety of surfaces, including soil-based and AirFibr pitches, removing thatch, poa annua or the whole surface up to 50 mm, has made it the ideal candidate in France.
It is these qualities which give the machine an edge in such situations for companies like Campey Turf Care Systems’ dealer in France Hydraparts who has worked closely with contractors Parcs et Sports providing a Koro FTM for use at the 42,000 capacity Stade Geoffroy Guichard.
The home of St Étienne has played host to major tournaments before, taking games from the 1984 European Championship, 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
A Koro FTM with Universe was also deployed in Marseille’s Stade Vélodrome, which received a €267 million makeover starting in 2014.
Four group matches will be played at the venue as well as a quarter-final and one of the semi-finals.
Campey Turf Care Systems is a Full Business Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.