The Russian Football Federation is hosting an international football tournament on artificial grass pitches this weekend

Club teams from the former USSR, including Dynamo Kiev, FC Skonto Latvia and Spartak Moscow, are competing in the event. The tournament is split between two locations in Moscow – the Olympisky Stadium and Spartak Moscow’s indoor training facili

Last Saturday Michel Platini, a member of FIFA’s Executive Committee and vice chairman of the Goal Bureau, opened the tournament in the presence of FIFA president Sepp Blatter at the Olympisky Stadium.

The 35,000-seat venue is temporarily equipped with an artificial grass pitch supplied by Desso DLW Sports Systems. After the tournament, this pitch will be installed at the National Training Centre of the Russian Football Federation in Bor, near Moscow.

Spartak Moscow’s indoor training centre has a permanent Desso artificial grass pitch. Due to the severe winters in Russia, indoor football facilities with artificial pitches are becoming more popular.

The final of the tournament will be played on 25 January.

Source: Stadia.tv