Top Turf for Top Tournaments
As Europe's top women footballers compete for glory in Switzerland this summer, they do so on a foundation built for elite performance: world-class turf, designed to endure the demands of professional play and deliver a flawless visual presentation – match after match. On five out of eight championship stadiums, the overseeding solution includes grass cultivars developed and produced in Denmark by DLF.
Engineered for performance, trusted by professionals
Professional groundskeepers don’t compromise. When they select turf for international tournaments, they demand cultivars that offer exceptional wear tolerance, fast recovery, and a consistently green, dense appearance – even under intense pressure. The grass must not only withstand back-to-back matches and training sessions; it must look and play perfectly under the global spotlight.
This summer, a powerful mix of Poa pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass) and Lolium perenne 4turf® (tetraploid perennial ryegrass) is providing just that. Developed through decades of turfgrass breeding in Northern Europe, these cultivars offer the durability and aesthetics that modern stadiums require.
Poa pratensis: resilience beneath the surface
Poa pratensis is the unsung hero of high-performance sports turf. Its underground rhizomes enable lateral growth and rapid regeneration – crucial qualities for tournament pitches where surface recovery must be near-instant. Its dense, interwoven growth ensures excellent shear strength and surface uniformity, preventing divots and maintaining true ball roll throughout the tournament.
To ensure fast establishment despite its natural germination delay, the Poa seed used in Switzerland has been enhanced with advanced seed coating technology. This accelerates emergence and supports uniform establishment, making Poa a viable option even in short renovation windows between matches.
4turf®: rapid coverage, lasting impact
Complementing Poa is Fabian, DLF’s leading 4turf® cultivar. Known for its fast germination, strong root development, and high disease resistance, Fabian ranks at the top of sports turf lists in both the UK and the Netherlands. Its vigor provides rapid ground cover, protecting soil and anchoring the sward during the initial establishment phase.
Blending speed with strength
The result is a carefully crafted overseeding blend combining the speed and early strength of 4turf® with the long-term resilience and visual quality of Poa pratensis. Together, these grasses form a high-performance surface that meets – and exceeds – the expectations of players, officials, broadcasters, and fans alike.
From Danish fields to Europe’s biggest stage
The story behind the grass is as impressive as the pitch itself. All varieties were bred, grown, and processed by DLF in Denmark.Their combined know-how ensures reliable supply, unmatched quality, and innovation tailored to the needs of professional turf managers worldwide.
“These are not just grass varieties. They are the result of decades of plant breeding, rigorous testing, and close dialogue with the most demanding users – stadium professionals,” says Anne Mette Dahl Jensen, Product Manager for Turfgrass at DLF. “When the stakes are high, they trust our grasses to perform.”
FACTS – Elite Stadium Turf for the Women’s Euro 2025:
- 5 out of 8 stadiums are overseeded with grass varieties developed by DLF
- Overseeding rates: 150–250 kg/ha, depending on pitch conditions
- Mowing height: typically 24–28 mm
- Mix dominated by Poa pratensis cultivars: Julius, Borsala, Yvette
- Fast-establishing 4turf® Lolium perenne cultivar: Fabian
- No fungicides allowed – high disease resistance is essential