After wrecking the stadium with careless use of fertilisers, the authorities in Lithuania’s Kaunas may be forced to spray-paint the pitch that will host the national team.
"The [maintenance] man overestimated his abilities a bit and spread fertiliser unevenly," said Evaldas Klimas, an expert at Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) who led the installation of the hybrid sports lawn at the brand-new stadium.
This then left the pitch with patchy, burned-out grass unsuitable for top-tier games.
In an attempt to remedy the situation, additional fertilisers were sprayed by hand. However, it only made things worse.
"It was a big mistake," said the VMU scientist.
Due to the poor condition of the field, an upcoming match in Lithuania's top league had to be postponed.
"We have taken the decision, [...] because we can see that the picture is not pleasing," said Vaidotas Zajarskas, the A-League director and representative of the Football Development Department at the Lithuanian Football Federation.
"There was a human error," he added.
According to the Kaunas municipality, the grass will be ready for the Lithuanian national football team's match, scheduled for June 17.
"All the processes to restore it are underway. We are spraying [fertilisers] with special machines, we will try to revitalise the grass, the process is ongoing," said Tadas Vasiliauskas, head of the Kaunas City Municipality Sports Department.
However, if the grass does not recover, the Lithuanian Football Federation may have to paint the pitch green.
"Even in Lithuania, there are paints that can [achieve the effect]. We need to match the shade and, just as we brighten the white lines, we can try to colour the grass," said Zajarskas from the Football Federation.
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