Uefa must help tackle 'unacceptable' pitches - Bompastor

Sonia Bompastor won her first piece of silverware as Chelsea boss on Saturday but was not happy with the League Cup final pitch

Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor has called for action from Uefa so women's teams do not have to play on "unacceptable" pitches.

The playing surface during Arsenal's defeat by Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday was described as a "disgrace" by Gunners legend Ian Wright.

Playing conditions at the Estadio Alfredo di Stefano - the home of Real's men's reserves - deteriorated quickly with large patches of mud appearing on the stitched hybrid pitch.

It followed complaints from players and pundits after Saturday's Women's League Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City at Derby County's Pride Park.

"I think that's just not acceptable to be able to play in that pitches - first of all because of the quality, but also and maybe mainly, because of the safety of the players," Bompastor said.

"This is something we need to now take into account and, being in 2025, we are in the modern world where in the women's game we should have the best pitches possible."

On Wednesday, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) said the safety of female footballers was being put "at risk" by substandard playing conditions in major matches.

Bompastor said she feels a duty to "raise our voices" about playing standards, but wants European football's governing body to play its part too.

"I was watching maybe two or three weeks ago, Real Madrid already played on that pitch against Barcelona, and the pitch was really bad," Bompastor added.

"I think... Uefa should take some decisions and should [force] the clubs to be able to have another pitch, especially when it's an international break for the men's side and the stadium - the big stadium - is available.

"I know it costs money for sure, but if you want to help women's football you need to make that decision."

The Estadio Alfredo di Stefano pitch is deemed an elite surface by Uefa, but it deteriorated badly before Tuesday's game following heavy rainfall.

There was an inspection before kick-off by the match officials and it was deemed playable, however once the game started it began to cut up badly.

In Chelsea's League Cup final win, meanwhile, the pitch at Pride Park featured an uneven surface and large patches of mud and bare turf.

Man City interim boss Nick Cushing said the events in Derby and Madrid were "two isolated incidents".

"The stadium, from what I understand in Madrid, was a weather-related issue and it's really difficult. I am sure Real Madrid's stadium is normally a lot better than that," Cushing said.

Arsenal manager Renee Slegers refused to blame the pitch for her side's 2-0 defeat in their quarter-final first leg, but said the reaction to the playing conditions had been welcome.

"I think it's good and women's football deserves to play on good surfaces, not least because of player injuries as well," she said.