New Desso Pitches at the Manchester City Football Academy

DENDERMONDE, Belgium, December 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

63,000 m²  high level, consistent and durable playing fields for professional performance

With the opening of the 80-acre City Football Academy in Manchester, the Academy improves the grassroots football infrastructure. Linked to the Etihad by a bridge, the CFA is a multi-sport facility and rehabilitation center that empowers a sustainable future.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141211/720526 )

After successful experience on the Desso GrassMaster system at the Etihad Stadium, the Academy chose to go for Desso again. Desso Sports installed 30.000 m2 of its reinforced natural grass, Desso GrassMaster and an additional 33,000 m2 of its latest artificial turf technology - Desso iDNA X. Desso's reinforced grass system is no longer only used within a stadium environment but also as an ideal training surface such as the CFA.

Vincent Kompany, Captain, Manchester City: "Desso GrassMaster is becoming a premium standard in the sports industry. We, players, are excited to play and train on such a high level, consistent and durable playing surface."

Alexander Collot d'Escury, CEO, Desso: "We are delighted to be working in partnership with MCFC on this venture. The facilities at the Academy, combined with Desso's track record of success in reinforced natural grass and artificial turf, means the young people and homegrown players will have an excellent opportunity to make progress in their careers."

The partnership between MCFC and Desso Sports regarding both match and training pitches enables young talent and the first team to perform on state-of-the-art pitches, regardless of weather conditions or intensity of use.

Yves De Cocker, Director, Desso GrassMaster: "We are thrilled to contribute to MCFC's future and be associated with one of the world's leading football clubs. The Academy shares Desso's desire - providing high-level, consistent and durable playing fields catering for professional performance."

Desso pitches have scored previous successes   

During the FIFA World Cup 2010™ in South Africa and 2014 in Brazil, the matches at the stadiums with Desso GrassMaster took place on a pitch in perfect condition. At Euro 2012, both Donbass and Kharkiv stadiums were installed with the reinforcement system. The 2012 Olympic Games (9 matches in 11 days) in Wembley also took place on Desso GrassMaster.

Top clubs and stadiums such as Arsenal FC, Allianz Arena, Manchester City, Manchester United, PSG, Shaktar Donetsk, Inter and AC Milan and Gremio play/train on Desso GrassMaster. http://www.dessosports.com

Company profile:

Desso Sports, more than 35 years of international experience in sports surfaces   

The company is the international specialist in innovative sports fields for football, rugby and hockey as well as tennis courts and multifunctional fields. Over time, the company has installed more than 65 million m² of artificial turf and Desso GrassMaster worldwide at both amateur and professional clubs. http://www.dessosports.com

SOURCE Desso Sports