19.02.2025 18:10
Galatasaray will host AZ Alkmaar in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 playoff. As Istanbul is experiencing heavy snowfall ahead of tomorrow's match, it has been revealed why the yellow-red team did not cover the pitch of the RAMS Park Stadium where the match will be played.
Galatasaray will host the Dutch representative AZ Alkmaar in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 playoff. Meanwhile, heavy snowfall has affected Istanbul, and RAMS Park, where the match will be played, has turned white. As the countdown continues for the match that will determine the fate of the yellow-reds in Europe, the issue of whether to cover the pitch has come to the agenda.
REASON FOR NOT COVERING THE PITCH
RAMS Park officials did not cover the pitch due to AZ Alkmaar's training scheduled at 21:30 in the stadium. It was learned that covering the pitch is not very easy and that spreading and removing it before the training would negatively affect the pitch even more.
IT WILL BE COVERED AFTER TRAINING AND WILL STAY UNTIL MATCH TIME
Stadium officials will take the necessary measures for the pitch after the AZ Alkmaar training and will cover it. The cover will remain on the pitch until match time and will be removed shortly before the match. This way, the match will start under the best possible pitch conditions. Immediately after the match, the necessary maintenance of the pitch will be carried out, and the cover will be placed back, remaining on the pitch until the Fenerbahçe match time.
WHAT TIME IS THE MATCH?
The UEFA Europa League Round of 16 playoff second leg match between Galatasaray and AZ Alkmaar will be played on Thursday, February 20 (tomorrow) at 20:45 at RAMS Park. AZ Alkmaar won the first match played in the Netherlands 4-1.