Sweden's World Cup qualifier against Serbia was played on a training pitch. The match ended 0-0. According to the regulations, Serbia is allowed to play the match on a training pitch. The training center is located about three miles outside Belgrade, according to other sources. The facility has a main stand and a smaller section on one end with room for 3,000 spectators, other sources indicate. The match was played on Plan 1 at the Serbian national team's training center 'Sportski centar FSS', according to other sources. Sweden played a qualifier for Euro 2025 at the newly built Dubočica Stadium in the city of Leskovac, other sources report. The reason Serbia chose to host the match on a training pitch instead of a standard stadium is unknown, and it is unclear how many spectators actually attended the match.
Swedish captain Kosovare Asllani expressed disappointment with the venue. 'I think women's football has come further than this,' Asllani said. She added, 'We do everything we can, but we come to this pitch.' Asllani believes the regulations need to be changed. 'As I said, women's football has come further than this and it's the regulations that need to be changed. If you allow playing on such pitches, teams like Serbia will exploit it,' she stated. According to other sources, Asllani and coach Tony Gustavsson tried not to focus too much on the playing environment. Asllani said the pitch was bouncy and not of the high standard they are used to, other sources quote her saying. She also said matches of this caliber deserve better, according to other sources.
I think women's football has come further than this.
In contrast, Serbian player Emma Petrovic dismissed the complaints. 'There is always something to complain about,' Petrovic said. She continued, 'There is a football pitch, it's just to go out and play. Does it matter if it's here or in a big arena? Come on.' Other Swedish players also commented on the situation. Hanna Lundkvist said it feels a bit strange to play on a training pitch, according to other sources. Lundkvist said Sweden would never do this in Sweden, other sources report.
Sweden's coach Tony Gustavsson offered a balanced perspective. '90 minutes of football inside the white lines are the same regardless of where it is,' Gustavsson said, according to other sources. He added, 'Then I of course think that these players and women's football in a World Cup qualifier should be played on as nice and big arenas as possible.' Gustavsson said there was nothing wrong with the arena itself, meaning the turf and facilities, according to other sources. He said the arena had nothing to do with their performance, other sources report. The specific FIFA or UEFA regulations that allow matches to be played on training pitches are unknown, and it is unclear if there are any ongoing discussions to change venue regulations in women's football. The official capacity and condition of the Dubočica Stadium compared to the training center remain unspecified.
We do everything we can, but we come to this pitch.