Toronto FC’s Sebastian Giovinco says BMO Field playing surface is for amateurs

Toronto FC striker Sebastian Giovinco continues to fret about the playing surface at BMO Field.

The stylish Italian, used to playing on surfaces in Europe, has made no secret of his distaste for his home field, which continues to show wear and tear.

“The field is an amateur field,” he said dismissively.

“We are professionals. We are accustomed to playing on a professional field. This is not a professional field.”

Despite his beef, Giovinco scored goal No. 12 of the season in a 4-1 win over New England on Saturday night.

Toronto plans to lay a new grass surface in the off-season, possibly a hybrid system that involves some artificial roots to help preserve the surface.

The club did put down a new grass surface mid-season, but it did not have enough time to settle down, forcing groundskeepers to use sand to level it out.

Sharing the stadium with the CFL Argos also puts stress on the turf.

And the difference between the field at BMO and those at team’s north Toronto training centre adds stress to players’ bodies.