The four venues are the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow, which already has an artificial turf pitch; the new Salzburg stadium in the Austrian city of the same name; the Eyravallen stadium in Crebro, Sweden; and the AtatC
The artificial turf surface at the Salzburg stadium should be ready by the spring, while the pitches in Sweden and Turkey are still at the planning and construction stage.
The choice of venues is the latest step in UEFA's close involvement in the development of artificial turf, which may culminate in the widespread replacement of grass pitches by artificial turf pitches, as the football authorities search for solutions to enable football to be played in all weather conditions on surfaces that are as close as possible to natural grass.
In addition to the Luzhniki Stadium, the three other stadiums concerned are being fitted with artificial turf with the consent of the clubs, national associations and leagues concerned. The selected clubs – FC Torpedo Moskva, SV Austria Salzburg, Crebro SK and Denizlispor - will play domestic matches on this turf, and will receive a UEFA subsidy of up to EUR204,500 ($221,242).
In return, they will be asked to co-operate with UEFA-appointed specialists who will study biomechanical and medical aspects of the turf.
"We will sign contracts with the clubs concerned, and UEFA's panel of artificial turf experts will meet to decide what we specifically expect from the clubs in terms of helping us carry out research," said UEFA senior manager for competition administration RenC) Eberle.
