Club World Cup: Losing to Real Madrid was eliminated, Dortmund coach Kovac blames the venue problem

In the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals, Dortmund lost to Real Madrid 2-3. After the game, the team coach Niko Kovac was disappointed with the result and blamed part of the loss on the turf quality of the Mets Stadium, the field.

In this focus match held in the early morning of the 6th, with Mbappe's wonderful goal, Real Madrid finally won and advanced to the next round. Facing the media, Kovac said bluntly: "This venue is more like a golf course than a place suitable for football."

He said: "The grass here is too short and does not meet the standards of our Bundesliga teams. It looks more like the turf on the golf course, and you can even play with clubs." In addition, Kovac also pointed out that the irrigation system of the Metropolitan Course is not perfect enough, resulting in dry and hard turf, affecting players' possession.

"When the field is too dry and hard, the ball becomes difficult to control, like sticking to the ground." He explained, "This is very unfavorable for a team like us who emphasizes quick transmission and technical play, especially in key games against high-level opponents like Real Madrid."

In addition to the venue issue, Kovac also criticized the hot playing environment in the New York area. The kickoff time of this game is 3 pm local time, with the temperature as high as 30 degrees Celsius, and the high humidity makes the players' physical energy consumed. "This kind of weather conditions is not suitable for high-intensity professional football matches," he said.

It is worth mentioning that Dortmund's Club World Cup journey started from the Metropolitan Stadium, and in the subsequent group stage, they moved to the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, until they entered the knockout stage.