Conditions will be surprisingly good for November in Latvia this Thursday evening. Anderlecht has better luck than Ajax Amsterdam.
We thought about it while watching the RSC Anderlecht players train this Thursday at the Daugavas Stadions in Riga: the pitch seemed in perfect condition. No question of synthetic, however, unlike the usual RFS stadium: it is indeed natural grass.
The conditions are indeed excellent in Riga, especially for the month of November. Club employees confirmed this to us: such a pitch at this time of year is very rare. It is not for nothing that the Latvian championship ends this week.
From November to March, Latvian football, like that of many Baltic and Scandinavian countries, literally hibernates. Conditions can become complicated, with snow and very low temperatures (it’s just under 10° this Thursday). Problem: RFS will play the European Cup… in January.
Indeed, the new European competition calendar implies that all teams “spend the winter” in Europe, since several matches are scheduled for January. “It will be the first time that a Latvian club plays an official match in January,” we are told at the club.
This match will be on January 23, against Ajax Amsterdam. And depending on the weather, this match could prove to be very complicated to play. “It can be -20° with snow. What do you want us to do? We will do our best, with tarpaulins and heating,” we laugh at the RFS. Fortunately for Anderlecht, the draw sends them to Latvia at just the right time!
