Concerns about pitch ahead of Premier League Asia Trophy

Despite the installation of a new $100 million new pitch at Hong Kong Stadium less than two years ago, concerns are once again being raised about the quality of the turf.

Following recent heavy rain – amber rain yesterday and total rainfall in June that was 44 percent above average according to Hong Kong Observatory – there are worries the pitch might not hold up following four games between Liverpool, Leicester City, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace in the Premier League Asia Trophy.

With four games taking place in four days, there are fears the turf could end up in the same embarrassing state that it did during a match between Manchester City and Sunderland in 2013 (pictured above). In his press conference yesterday, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said: “What can I say [regarding concerns about the pitch]? I could say ‘no’ and then I would lie... But for the game it's not a real problem because both teams will have the same circumstances, so we will see how it looks then.”

To read Time Out Hong Kong's original investigation into the new Hong Kong Stadium pitch, click here.