Pitch Perfect: Inside Stuttgart Arena's Turf Success at UEFA EURO 2024

Introduction

With the recent UEFA EURO 2024 competition captivating football fans across Europe, we had the opportunity to speak with the head groundsman of MHP Arena and VfB Stuttgart Fabian Riesterer, one of the key venues that hosted the tournament. In this interview, he shares fascinating insights into the immense effort and precision required to prepare a pitch that meets UEFA's rigorous standards. This conversation offers an inside look at how the groundskeeping team managed these demands, the technology they employed, and the strategies they used to ensure the pitch was in perfect condition for one of Europe's most prestigious football events.

How big is your team, and how do you manage everyday activities related to turf management?

Fabian Riesterer: We have seven full-time employees for pitch maintenance. This includes the MHP Arena and the training facilities with six natural pitches, two of which are stitch hybrid system pitches, and one artificial turf. We also handle basic maintenance for two pitches at a nearby club where our youth teams sometimes train.

Do you have a women's team?

Fabian Riesterer: Yes, our women's team was recently promoted to the third division in Germany. They are hosted at a club where we have our facilities, but we currently don't maintain their pitches. In the next three to four years, we expect to take on more responsibilities as they reconstruct their facilities. But we are based in the centre of Stuttgart, so there is not that much space to accommodate all the teams, unfortunately, at the moment. 

Can you describe your daily activities as a grounds manager?

Fabian Riesterer: We start with a short meeting in the morning, often using the turfcoach application to assign tasks. Our main focus is maintaining the stadium pitch in top condition and ensuring the training pitches for the first team are in excellent shape. We handle normal pitch maintenance tasks like fertilising, cutting, and other routine activities, with priority given to the first team’s needs.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Fabian Riesterer: One major challenge is that the standards of pitch quality are getting higher and higher and the expectations, of course, are very high. However, we struggle to find well-educated workers since the knowledge of pitch maintenance is not widely available in Germany anymore. Additionally, we face competition from local industries like Mercedes and Porsche, which are very economically successful companies and, of course, very attractive employers making it difficult to attract and retain staff. And the living costs are very high, so it’s difficult to compete with those companies. Also if you want to change a job as a groundsman, you will have to go far away, because there are not so many clubs around here and it’s quite difficult. 

Do you face any issues with the coaches or players regarding the pitches?

Fabian Riesterer: We've been on a good path, and my team has performed really well over the last two seasons. We've achieved a lot, and the coaches have appreciated our efforts, noting significant improvements in pitch quality. However, challenges remain. For example, after a Bundesliga game in mid-February, following extremely cold weather and heavy snowfall, the pitch—like the one in Munich, which is among the best in Germany or even worldwide— maintains 100% density. The pitch in Munich stays green, can be watered, is very fast, and has perfect hardness. And of course, the coaches want the same pitch quality from us. We aim to replicate that standard in our stadium, but it is hard to achieve it. 

Do you use any new technologies apart from turfcoach in your work?

Fabian Riesterer: Yes, we use the UFC lights and sensors to monitor moisture. We also have an advanced irrigation system, so it could run the irrigation system as fast as we want it and of course it’s important because of the disease pressure. We will have a weather station from turfcoach for more accurate data. We also have the tools to measure all the important parameters, so I think we have all the technical tools we need, all the equipment. The thing is, it's a bit different for every club, because every groundsman’s got his own philosophy. And, in the arena, we’ve got a 100% Poa Pratensis pitch. You have to work with the plant, you have to feel about what will be the best decision. Some hybrid or stitched systems are different. They are more like cutting, seeding, light, cutting, seeding, light. That's a bit different. But I think we’ve got all the needed tools, which made us technically very happy. The one thing will be nice - the UVC treatment for lowering the disease pressure.

How can turfcoach help you specifically?

Fabian Riesterer: With turfcoach you can be more effective. Currently, my team is small compared to other clubs. Ideally, we should have 11 to 12 groundsmen to maintain the pitch at a higher level. We constantly need to adjust small things for safety and quality. When I'm working with the team, especially at the Arena, I always need to communicate, call, and ensure everything is in order.

Using the turfcoach app, planning the day becomes easier. For example, if they see that the lines need marking while I'm cutting the grass, I can send a notification or assign tasks through the app instead of calling them. This method is more efficient and ensures everyone is working productively without unnecessary delays.

What changes would you like to see in the groundskeeping industry?

Fabian Riesterer: The industry is moving forward technically, more and more hybrid pitches are being built, standards are getting higher, but then the workload is increasing while the number of employees stays the same. Moreover, that’s a very unattractive job I am doing! Due to the Euros, for example, in the Bundesliga, there were 17 home games on weekends. This means I'm away from home from 7 AM to 7 PM, missing time with my family. Pitch preparation also starts early, often on Sunday morning or Monday, which makes the job very demanding and unattractive. So we need better compensation and more recognition to attract new workers. 

How did hosting the Euros affect your postseason activities?

Fabian Riesterer: We had a Pink concert after the Euros and managed a short renovation with a verticut - a bit of top dressing and seeding. Of course, we seeded in the beginning of May before the last Bundesliga home game. We seeded a lot with Poa Pratensis to make the pitch stable and give Poa Pratensis time to grow. Our main concern was the grey leaf spot, and that was the reason we worked with the UVC machine all day long. Overall, the pitch was in excellent condition, so we didn’t need extensive renovations. So there was nothing special made for the Euros, just a normal renovation. 

Stuttgart Arena hosted 5 games during Euros. Was it difficult to prepare for this with such a short time between games?

Fabian Riesterer: We knew we would face challenges with four group stage games. We were lucky enough to get only two training sessions on the pitch before the first and the fourth games. So there was no training session for match day 2 and match day 3 at Stuttgart. These decisions are made by the teams, they were just not interested. 

Of course we made sure the pitch was aligned with the UEFA standards. And, of course we employed more people temporarily. We also had to work after the match. Normally, we don't do any pitch maintenance right after the match, because we don't have the manpower to do it.

But for the Euros we divided our team into groups with 4 groundsmen responsible for pre match preparation and 4 - for post match preparation, added by 12 employees who were working during and after the match divoting and then they went home and we did pitch maintenance - cutting, brushing and putting some lights on. And after the second game we had 1 extra day for preparation, so we did some mild aerification with Procore. It was very hard and intense, but we managed to do really well, I think.

Are there differences between Bundesliga and UEFA pitch quality standards?

Fabian Riesterer: So Bundesliga standards are quite basic, and UEFA has got strict and clear measurements, clear frames where we should stay inside. For example, infiltration rates. In Bundesliga it must be 60 litres/hour/sqm, while UEFA requires 150 litres or more, So it's more than double. So for sustainability, it's catastrophic. Because if you need 150, it’s like your pitch is filled with sand and that means in summer you need more water, for example. Additionally, UEFA specifies that the cutting height should be around 22mm, and during our tournament, Bundesliga says between 24 and 30mm, so there we have a range. They also mandate specific requirements for pitch hardness and moisture, which we had to monitor closely.

How does the turf at Stuttgart Arena differ from other stadiums?

Fabian Riesterer: Each stadium has different weather and shadow conditions from the stands. We invested a year ago in high-quality turf from Richter Raser in Austria, which gave us an advantage. Yes, it was more expensive, but the quality was much better than my colleagues had in Dusseldorf or Hamburg. Our weather conditions before the tournament were also favorable, it was not too hot and not too cold and we could do a smooth renovation and basic pitch maintenance.

How far in advance does UEFA start checking the pitch quality?

Fabian Riesterer: They start about two years in advance, with 4 pitch visits. In the last six months, we had to measure pitch hardness, moisture, and density weekly and submitted the data to UEFA.

Conclusion

As Stuttgart Arena played a crucial role in UEFA EURO 2024, this interview highlights the dedication and expertise required to maintain world-class pitch conditions. The head groundsman’s insights provide a deeper appreciation of the behind-the-scenes efforts that contribute to the success of major football events. With a focus on precision, innovation, and teamwork, Stuttgart Arena’s groundskeeping team demonstrated how essential their role is in the beautiful game.

New technologies are revolutionizing grounds management, and turfcoach is leading the way with our advanced TURF software. Our solution seamlessly integrates team and turf management, helping you save time, cut costs, and enhance the quality of your pitches. Discover the difference for yourself—contact us today to schedule a demo and see how TURF can elevate your operations!