From a $5 billion World Cup stadium back to Leeuwarden

ARTICLE

Karlijn Raats, Monday 7 September 2026

204 sec

Luuk van den Breemer: 'The resources are completely different, but the ambition is the same'

Luuk van den Breemer (29), field manager at SC Cambuur, worked at the ultra-modern SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles during the recent World Cup. 'Being given the chance to be part of something like that is a no-brainer. You only get an opportunity like this once in your life.' Despite the incredible experience, Van den Breemer is now firmly back on the ground in Leeuwarden.

Van den Breemer operating the Dennis mower at the Kooi Stadion in Leeuwarden.

For the World Cup, the permanent field management team at SoFi Stadium, home of NFL teams the Los Angeles Rams and LA Chargers, was expanded with seven European groundsmen. Through his international network, Van den Breemer joined the field management team for the World Cup in the United States. Contacts from the top level of English football, including former Tottenham Hotspur field manager Wayne Billing and Reece Watson, who spent ten years working in field management at Arsenal, brought him to Los Angeles. The stadium, which opened five years ago and hosted the Nations League final last year, served as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup. The hybrid pitch was prepared in four and a half weeks after Precision Turf had constructed the pitch from the ground up and the turf had been laid. Eight matches were then played on it, including the United States' opening match and a quarter-final between Spain and Belgium.

Daily maintenance at the World Cup

'Although daily tasks such as mowing, repairing damage, fertilising, moving lighting rigs and ventilating are familiar to field managers throughout the Netherlands, everything was done more intensively at the World Cup,' says Van den Breemer. 'Everything was measured and monitored, particularly the effect of maintenance measures such as mowing, irrigation and aeration. Overall playing quality was assessed by measuring characteristics such as hardness, vertical deformation, energy restitution, traction and stud penetration depth. Every action had to contribute to exactly the characteristics FIFA wanted. Working purely by feel is not an option at this level.'

Making the most of what you have

According to Van den Breemer, the biggest difference compared with Cambuur lies in knowledge, but certainly also in the resources available. Even beneath the transparent roof of SoFi Stadium, around 500 to 600 micromoles of PAR light still reach the pitch, roughly one third of the levels outdoors. Van den Breemer: 'To keep photosynthesis at an optimum level, we used nine large and four medium-sized SGL lighting units, supported by fans to optimise air circulation. At Cambuur, we have three medium-sized SGL units, two smaller lighting units and two TurfPods. That makes you much more dependent on the weather. In winter, you are often only as good as the resources available to you. Over the past few seasons, the pitch has also had to cope with snow, frost, intensive use and periods when the training pitches were unavailable. As a result, training took place in the stadium much more often than originally planned. At that point, you're no longer trying to improve the pitch; you're mainly trying to limit the damage.'

'In winter, many field managers are often only as good as the resources available to them'

Same standards, different budget

According to Van den Breemer, however, it is a misconception that a top-quality pitch depends entirely on large budgets. 'The ambition is no different. In Leeuwarden, you also want to deliver a top-quality pitch for every match. You just have to be more creative and have a little luck.' That means planning becomes even more important, he says. 'How do you align fertilisation with the weather forecast? Which maintenance measures actually deliver results? When you have fewer resources, every decision has to be right.' He brought that way of thinking straight back from Los Angeles. 'At a World Cup, no action is taken without a reason. That's something every field manager can apply.'

Van den Breemer sets up a string line before mowing the lengthwise stripes.

Field manager in Los Angeles followed Leeuwarden stadium remotely

Van den Breemer's stay in California coincided with major maintenance work on the stadium pitch in Leeuwarden. 'My first thought was: should I really do this? But that doubt lasted about two seconds.' As early as January, SC Cambuur and Van den Breemer decided to adjust the renovation schedule entirely around his absence. His colleague Mike was prepared for months to carry out the entire process independently. Tarkett carried out the renovation, after which Mike became responsible for further germination and grass growth. Despite the nine-hour time difference, Van den Breemer remained in daily contact.

'At 6.00 a.m. US time, I called him, when it was 3.00 p.m. in the Netherlands. At 10.00 p.m., I called him again, when it was 7.00 a.m. in the Netherlands. We sent lots of photos back and forth. If a fungal patch appeared or there were other problems, we could respond almost immediately.' Van den Breemer continued to provide input particularly on nutrition and mechanical maintenance. 'Fertilisation is still a matter of experience; you don't learn that in a year. But I was able to spend two months in Los Angeles with peace of mind, even though it was the first time Mike had to grow in a pitch, and he had to do it largely on his own. I was certain that all the work in Leeuwarden would be carried out perfectly. You can only leave if you have one hundred percent confidence in the people back home.'

Passion far more important than technology

According to Van den Breemer, the profession is still underestimated. 'People in the stands don't see how many hours, how much knowledge and how much preparation go into maintaining a pitch. If you don't pay attention for a few days, a pitch can change completely. You're always working on it. It takes more than technical knowledge. And you have to get energy from it. I've hardly been on holiday for two years. I don't mind, because I think this is the best profession there is. In that respect, it helps that I don't currently have a steady relationship or a family. But the fact remains that without intrinsic motivation, you simply can't keep doing this work.'

This article was previously published on 7 September 2026 on the Fieldmanager](https://www.fieldmanager.nl/article/55470/van-een-wk-stadion-van-5-miljard-dollar-terug-naar-leeuwarden]Fieldmanager) website.

Tarkett Sports BV

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