Turkish press reports have revealed the latest details regarding Trabzonspor's match against Finnish side KuPS, scheduled for October 15 as part of the UEFA Conference League.
The Turkish website 61saat indicated that the match will not be played at "Varri Arena," KuPS's home stadium, due to the venue failing to meet the standards set by UEFA for matches in this stage of the competition. Consequently, it was decided to move the fixture to "Tammela Stadium" in the city of Tampere.
The report clarified that the distance between "Varri Arena" and "Tammela Stadium" is approximately 180 kilometers, meaning Trabzonspor will play their match in Finland in a different city from where their opponent's usual stadium is located.
Artificial turf remains present
The site confirmed that changing the match venue will not make a difference regarding the pitch surface, as "Tammela Stadium" relies on artificial turf just like "Varri Arena."
Therefore, moving the match to another stadium was not due to the pitch surface, but rather because "Varri Arena" did not meet UEFA's organizational standards.
The report noted that KuPS had previously received an exception from UEFA to play some of its European matches at its home stadium; however, this exception did not cover all stages of UEFA competitions.
High fan interest in the match
The report addressed the public turnout for the match, noting that tickets for "Tammela Stadium," which has a capacity of around 8,000 spectators, sold out completely within approximately four days.
Trabzonspor is expected to enjoy significant fan support despite playing away from home, with notable attendance by Turkish fans anticipated in the stands.
In the coming hours, the situation regarding Egyptian star Mohamed Salah's participation in the match is expected to become clearer, especially since it will be played on artificial turf, given that the player did not participate in Egypt's recent match against South Sudan for the same reason.
