CEBU now has its first ever artificial football turf after it was unveiled by grassroots club Giuseppe FC last Saturday at the Sanchez Compound in Banilad.
It has a 20-meter by 40-meter football pitch with artificial grass and lights that can be played on even at night, which will now be the new home of Giuseppe FC.
The artificial football pitch was the brainchild of football moms Mylene Suarez and Rachel Genco.
“When it rains, they couldn’t play because the field was ruined and it was muddy,”
Suarez said yesterday.
Now, Giuseppe FC won’t have problems practicing in bad weather conditions because of the artificial pitch.
Genco and Suarez, who both literally joined in the making of the pitch, tapped Italians Aurelio Rizzuto and Nicolo Ferrante, the director of a grassroots club in Italy named Le Siepi Scuola Calcio.
The materials of the pitch also came all the way from Italy.
Rizzuto and Ferrante arrived in Cebu last Dec. 9 and after just 10 days, the pitch was done. From just an empty lot that was used for parking, it became a world class six-a-side football pitch for youth footballers.
“We did this to develop the grassroots,” said Genco.
The pitch is primarily used for Giuseppe FC, which has around 40 kids and is being mentored by former national U23 team member Oliver Colina. However, Genco and Suarez said that the pitch will soon be open for rentals.
“We will also have it rented but our priority is to increase the members of our club,” said Suarez.
Giuseppe FC is also planning on holding tournaments as soon as the pitch will be fully finished. They are still going to build locker rooms and benches.
“We will hold tournaments in the future, maybe just for small teams,” said Genco.