DALTON, Ga., July 14 /CNW/ -- It's another first for FieldTurf! For the first time ever, an artificial pitch will be used in European football competition. UEFA has given the green light for Torpedo Moscow to play their UEFA Cup qualifying round home leg against San Marino's Domagnano on FieldTurf, the world-leader in artificial sports surfacing.

This historic match will take place at Moscow's Luzhniki Olympic Stadium. The installation of the FieldTurf pitch at Luzhniki was subsidized by UEFA as part of their ongoing efforts to find alternatives to natural grass fields.

FieldTurf is the pre-eminent artificial playing surface. Top International Football leagues and clubs currently practicing and playing on FieldTurf include: UK's Premier League (Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle United FC, Middlesbrough, Blackburn, Leeds United, Manchester City, Fulham, Aston Villa, Birmingham City and Charlton Athletic); the Scottish Premier League (Glasgow Rangers); Germany's Bundesliga (Werder Bremen); Russia's Lokomotiv and CSKA and Spain's Primera Liga (Barcelona).

At the result of intensive lobbying by advocates of the FieldTurf system, FIFA brought artificial surfaces back to a level of acceptance a few years ago when it launched its FIFA Recommended status and licensing program. FieldTurf's revolutionary artificial pitch at Boston University Stadium was the first such surface to be awarded the prestigious designation "FIFA Recommended."

"This is a big day for FieldTurf," said John Gilman, CEO of FieldTurf. "It all started with our Nickerson Field installation at Boston University. Our goal from day one was to replicate the playing characteristics of natural grass, provide increased player comfort and safety, and offer stadia management lower maintenance costs and extended usage opportunities. I believe that we've done just that and that no other product comes close."

FieldTurf entered the industry in response to demands for a new generation of artificial grass that would be much safer than those available in the mid 1990's. With more than fifteen FIFA Recommended pitches, FieldTurf continues its role as the leading global supplier of artificial football fields. Its patented processes create a surface that is not only far safer, but one that also improves athletic performance by closely emulating natural grass.

FieldTurf's existing FIFA Recommended pitches include Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Glasgow Rangers FC in Millingavie, Scotland; Futebol Clube Marinhas in Esposende, Portugal; City of Outremont in Montreal; Centre de Formation de TFC in Toulousse, France; Seahawks Stadium in Seattle, WA, USA; Luzhniki Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Russia; The Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan; Issa Town Stadium in Bahrain; Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa, Canada; Weingart Stadium in Los Angeles, CA, USA; Belson Stadium at St. John's University in New York, NY, USA; Fanny Blankers Field in Almere, Holland and Nickerson Field at Boston University in Boston, MA, USA.

"Football in every corner of the world is now experiencing the many benefits of FieldTurf," said Hank Steinbrecher, the former General Secretary/Executive Director of the U.S. Soccer Federation, a leading voice in world soccer and a strong proponent of the FieldTurf system. "FieldTurf's patented system, like grass, has a 'restitution of energy' ideal for footballers who run literally miles and miles during a typical match. It allows players to perform at their peak without undue leg fatigue."

"As we continue to install new pitches across the globe, professional football is experiencing the benefits of FieldTurf and choosing us -- because FieldTurf looks like grass, feels like grass and plays like grass," said Steinbrecher.

FieldTurf is a privately held company based in Montreal that also offers a full range of sports, stadia, golf, landscaping and playground artificial grass solutions. For more information on FieldTurf, please visit www.fieldturf.com, or call (800) 724-2969.

Source: Fieldturf.com