Passion fuels pitch perfection at NK Osijek

Groundsmen Branimir Buček and Goran Tokić give a sneak peek in their work

The new football season is off to an early start for NK Osijek, as their fourth-place finish in Croatia’s top league, the 1. Hrvatska Nogometna Liga (HNL), secured them a spot in the second qualifying round of the Europa Conference League. This means that by late July, the pitch at their home ground, the Opus Arena, must be in perfect condition.

The Opus Arena is the brand-new, state-of-the-art stadium of NK Osijek from Osijek, Croatia. The fourth-largest stadium of the country opened its doors in 2023, has as seating capacity of 13.005, and the pitch falls under the responsibility of groundsmen Branimir Buček and Goran Tokić. We had the opportunity to speak with them about their award-winning work at NK Osijek, their passion for their craft and football, how they treat the pitch in this challenging environment, and the upcoming SGL Showcase at NK Osijek.

Prize-winning passion

Head Groundsmen Branimir is ultimately responsible for the pitch at the Opus Arena and the seven training pitches adjacent to the stadium. Of course, he could have never done this without his team of ten and his right-hand man, Goran. Branimir is very proud of his team: “We all have our specializations, and we complement each other. What makes my team special is that every member has a love for turfgrass and football. Which is the perfect combination for this job.”.

Life of a groundsmen comes with its challenges, Branimir often deals with a very warm environment: “Temperatures can easily rise up to 40°C here in Osijek, with minimal wind, creating ideal circumstances for grass diseases to flourish. The temperature rarely drops below 36°C in the summer, which also makes it challenging for the English ryegrass we’re using.”.

Despite these challenges, Branimir’s team has proven they are more than capable of handling them. Their passion for their craft and the game even earned them the award for the best pitch in the Croatian 1. HNL season 22/23.! “These kinds of recognitions are very motivating! As a club, NK Osijek had never won a best pitch award before, we’re very proud of this accomplishment.

Quality throughout the year

But how do you create the best football pitch in Croatia? Branimir shares insights into their approach: “We have three LED440 and two LED50 grow lights, four TC50 units, a UVC180, and four TurfPods at our disposal. To be honest, we were initially sceptical and unsure of what to expect. However, the results were almost immediately visible after we started using them, and we were pleasantly surprised. The results have been practically perfect since we began using the LED grow lights. We chose this solution because we experience a lack of sunlight on the southern side of the stadium during the autumn and winter months. Now, the quality of the pitch in these darker seasons can be compared to that of spring and summer. There’s a huge difference between working with and without LED grow lights.”

NK Osijek made a deliberate choice to use LED grow lighting technology, but why? “Sustainability is now one of the club’s top priorities. The goal is to make the stadium self-sustainable. We focus on the future by taking initiatives such as rainwater harvesting, installing solar panels, and, of course, using LED grow lighting. We’ve noticed significant energy savings because we don’t need to add extra heat most of the time. The SGL portal provides us with insights into the pitch conditions and tells us exactly how much we need to use the LED grow lighting.”

Battling diseases

Another challenge NK Osijek faces is high disease pressure. As mentioned earlier, the high temperatures and lack of wind create favorable conditions for grass diseases to flourish. Branimir explains how he and his team address this issue: “The disease pressure is currently very high due to the consistently high temperatures. Diseases are more aggressive during the summer and can cause significant damage to the pitch. That’s why we must treat the grass proactively. We conduct daily visual inspections and use the UVC180 to eliminate fungi in their early stages with UV-C technology.”

Another important factor Branimir discussed is the lack of wind. He emphasizes the importance of wind for grass health: “It’s extremely important to minimize stagnant air to prevent the grass from overheating. In a stadium, which essentially creates its own microclimate, ensuring proper ventilation and air circulation is crucial. We use the TC50 fans to generate wind, especially during morning evaporation. Effective air circulation reduces the time the grass remains wet, which helps to prevent the development of grass diseases.”