Arsenal appealed to UEFA to check the grass length before their away game against Atlético Madrid.
On 30 April 2026, renowned Spanish journalist Guillem Balagué reported that before the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg between Atlético Madrid and Arsenal, which ended 1-1, Arsenal's staff inspected the pitch condition. Video footage showed officials engaged in a tense discussion before the club formally requested UEFA to measure the grass length, believing it to be "longer than standard."
Arsenal filed an official complaint asking UEFA officials to personally measure the grass length. Balagué revealed on X that "Arsenal's staff were very dissatisfied, believing this was Diego Simeone's tactic to use thick, long grass to disrupt Arsenal's fast attacking rhythm."
Ultimately, UEFA confirmed the grass length was 26 mm, which is within the standard range (21-30 mm), and matches the length used in their previous game against Barcelona.
The Estadio Metropolitano, Atlético Madrid's home ground, has frequently faced questions about pitch conditions this season. In the round of 16, Tottenham Hotspur players slipped repeatedly before losing 5-2; mistakes by Antonín Kinský and Mickey van der Ven directly led to goals. Barcelona coach Hans-Dieter Flick also lodged complaints about grass length in the previous quarter-final round.
The second leg will return to the Emirates Stadium on the evening of Tuesday, 5 May.