First a fungus and now, according to the owners of the stadium, sabotage. Estadio Santa Laura pitch has literally disappeared, exacerbating the problem of venue shortages in Chilean football. After four rounds, two matches have already been postponed. The club has already started an investigation.

Top clubs in Chile have nowhere to play

Chilean football is in a stadium crisis. Universidad de Chile and Colo Colo found this out when, four days before the Chile Super Cup clash, the game at Estadio La Portada was postponed due to the organisers' failure to meet safety requirements. Although almost two months have passed, we still do not know the new date of the match.

The authorities and the police are shifting responsibility for the constant postponement of meetings with the federation and the clubs, most of which play in city stadiums and do not have full control over the state of the facilities or their use. The work on the four stadiums that will host the U-20 World Cup in the autumn has eliminated them from Chile's football map, further exacerbating an already serious problem.

In this situation, Estadio Santa Laura, home to Unión Española, is a backup option for many clubs. Universidad Catolica also wanted to take on Colo Colo this Saturday on the 25,000-seater, but plans were thwarted by the condition of the pitch, which had also previously forced the postponement of the scheduled Monday 10 March match between Unión Española and Universidad de Chile. The host club reported that this was due to work on lighting and works on the grass. As it turned out, its condition is deplorable.

© cataranta | Estadio Santa Laura is the fourth largest stadium in Chile.

It's inexplicable. We don't have absolute certainty yet, but it is likely that the damage is deliberate, Luis Verdejo, head of the company that maintains the surface at Estadio Santa Laura, told the media. As he explained, a few weeks earlier the turf had been attacked by a fungus due to a maintenance error, but it was already healthy. He also assured that his suspicions are supported by the expertise of professionals.

This is the only way something like this could have happened, that this type of grass, which is Hybrid Bermuda, could have been damaged in this way. The Santa Laura pitch received this type of grass because it is resistant to drought, traffic and all kinds of diseases, assured Luis Verdejo. As he reported, 40% of the pitch was destroyed.

The situation does not have a quick fix, so both Unión Española and the other clubs that had planned to play matches at Santa Laura will have to look for an alternative stadium. It [repairing the turf - editor's note] will take at least a month or a month and a half. It's a very difficult task, Verdejo stated.

According to La Tercera, Unión Española is already investigating the hypothesis of water poisoning. The club has sent samples for analysis and, if suspicions are confirmed, will seek the help of the justice system.

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