Women's 2015 World Cup: Stars hire lawyers over Fifa's pitch plan, Latest Others News - The New Paper
Sports

Women's 2015 World Cup: Stars hire lawyers over Fifa's pitch plan

Some of the biggest names in women's football are taking legal action against Fifa, over alleged double standards.

US star Alex Morgan says the governing body is using women as "guinea pigs" - by making them play their World Cup on artificial turf.

Meanwhile, the men have no plans to switch any time soon.

Men get real grass

Morgan and several other women's soccer players are furious the 2015 World Cup in Canada will be played on artificial turf as a "test", when the men will play on grass for their next two World Cups.

She tells TMZ Sports: "They are treating us as second class to the men ... Using the women as guinea pigs in their experiment is just not right."

Morgan says she understands certain venues have limited resources.

But when it comes to the World Cup, there should be no settling because artificial turf increases the risk of injury, and -- many believe -- decreases the quality of play.

There are no plans to boycott the tournament but Morgan helped organise a group of more than 40 players that has hired a law firm to request Fifa reconsider the use of turf.

Current Germany goalkeeper and World Player of the Year, Nadine Angerer, is also involved.

On Monday, Fifa president Joseph S. Blatter defended the artificial turf ahead of the Under-20 Women's World Cup, also held in Canada, mostly on the same surfaces. He called it "the future".

"Fifa can confirm the receipt of letter and we have no comment," a spokesman told FoxSoccer.com

Hampton Dellinger, the lead attorney for the women, says Fifa has yet to respond -- and since everyone loves a metaphor, he added: "The ball is in their pitch."

Sources: tmz, FoxSoccer.com

FootballUncategorisedlawyerartificial