© EuroFootball.com
Artificial turf at the highest quality standard of the International Football Federation (FIFA) is installed at the stadiums of the Lithuanian Football Federation in Vilnius and the old stadium in Tauragė.
International matches will be played in the capital.
Artificial turf of standard dimensions was installed in the capital and Tauragė last year. Traditionally, after the installation of the fields, FIFA-accredited independent experts visited the stadium to conduct tests. The latest generation of artificial turf must meet characteristics that closely resemble natural grass.
According to the recently published official test results, the fields were awarded two-star quality certificates which are valid for one year - until the next evaluation. A two-star quality standard means that the field is suitable for elite football matches. Fields with such a standard can host all major FIFA and UEFA tournament matches, provided that the stadium infrastructure also meets the requirements.
On September 7th, the Lithuanian national team will play their first 2014 World Cup qualifying match against Slovakia at the LFF stadium in Vilnius.
Next Thursday, July 19th, the first UEFA Europa League second qualifying round match between Vilnius MFD "Žalgiris" and Medling "Admira Wacker" will be held here.
Artificial turf fields - around the world
In Europe, these fields are becoming increasingly popular - more than three hundred have been installed. In Vilnius, the "Greenfields REAL FT 40 slide pro" field model was installed. Similar fields can be found in various parts of the world - in the Netherlands, Germany, Slovakia, South Africa, Haiti, and Curaçao (a Caribbean country).
In Tauragė, the "Greenfields REAL FT 40 slide pro" field was installed, similar to those in Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Israel, Uruguay, India, China, Ethiopia, Algeria, Mozambique, Bahrain, Australia, and others.
Neighboring Latvia does not have fields of two-star quality standard, while Estonia has one in Tallinn. In Lithuania, there are a total of five FIFA-certified fields - in Druskininkai, Kėdainiai, Kaunas, Gargždai, and Panevėžys.
According to the standard artificial turf field project, the LFF will allocate new generation field turf to ten regions of Lithuania. In the near future, such turfs are planned to be installed in Gargždai (second one) and Alytus. New fields are planned in Vilnius, Telšiai, Palanga, Mažeikiai, and Klaipėda.
It is expected that by 2013, ten regions will have modern fields that meet FIFA quality standards, where high-level international competitions can be held. Over seven years, the LFF has invested around 25 million litas in various football development and popularization projects in the regions.
