El Molinón to Install First Hybrid Pitch Ahead of Valladolid Match

Real Sporting de Gijón will transform the pitch at El Molinón by installing a hybrid turf system, following a successful rollout at the Mareo training ground, according to local reports. The multi-phase renovation project begins on Monday and aims to give El Molinón, the oldest stadium in Spanish football, a reinforced playing surface ahead of November fixture commitments.

Decapado and Base Leveling Begin the Stadium Overhaul

The first phase of the El Molinón renovation requires heavy machinery to strip away the existing grass and its shallow base layer in a process known locally as decapado. Trucks will enter the stadium grounds to haul away the excavated material, clearing the way for sub-surface grading and leveling. Club officials confirmed that while the surface layer undergoes a complete overhaul, the stadium’s underground drainage and irrigation systems will remain intact.

Once ground crews finish leveling the sub-base early next week, workers will lay down new turf rolls—known as tepes—to cover the entire pitch. This phase will temporarily restore the stadium’s green appearance before the specialized hybrid reinforcement begins later in the autumn.

GrassMax Stitching Reinforces the Natural Surface

The final and most technical phase of the project involves stitching synthetic fibers into the natural grass using specialized machinery from the international technology provider GrassMax. The installation inserts fibers up to 18 centimeters deep into the root zone, leaving about two centimeters exposed above the surface. These synthetic elements account for roughly four percent of the pitch’s final composition, creating a hybrid blend designed to increase root stability, improve water infiltration, and speed up post-match recovery without altering underlying drainage.

Sporting has partnered with the Basque contractor Laziturri for the stadium installation. Laziturri previously handled hybrid conversions on fields 1, 2, and 4 at the Mareo training facilities. The entire stadium project operates under the direct supervision of Eva Sánchez-Céspedes, who also oversaw the earlier installations at Mareo.

The club selected the Basque firm Laziturri to execute the mechanical turf replacement. This partnership builds on previous upgrade work at the club’s Mareo training complex, where hybrid surfaces have already undergone extensive testing.

Twenty-One Days Away From Gijón Make the Window Possible

The club scheduled the pitch replacement to take advantage of a 21-day stretch without a home fixture at El Molinón, giving grounds crews a strict timeline to finish the work. Following a home match against Albacete, the squad faces three road trips. The first will be to the field of Castellón, on Sunday, October 25, at 18.30 hours. Four days later, on October 29, at 20.00 hours, the team will visit Guijuelo in the Copa del Rey. The series of matches away from Gijón will conclude on November 1, at 16.15 hours, against Ceuta.

Maintenance staff plan to finish laying and stitching the hybrid turf three to four days before Sporting returns to El Molinón. The team’s next home match is scheduled for November 8, at 18.30 hours, against Valladolid, providing a brief window for final conditioning checks on the new surface.