20 minutes from Pelotas, Arena Marini prepares a sixth pitch with World Cup-standard turf
Less than half an hour from the centre of Pelotas, a sports complex born from kickabouts between church friends has become a regional reference in professional football. Arena Marini, accessed via the BR-392, has already hosted Vasco, Internacional, Ceará and even a reserved Bra-Pel derby – and is now expanding with a pitch that will use the same turf as stadiums of international standard.
Bermuda Tahoma 31: the same turf as the big stages
Owner Andreo Scaglioni Marini confirms that the complex’s sixth pitch is in the final phase of installation with Bermuda Tahoma 31 grass – a variety adopted in arenas that will be fully recovered from winter between September and October, ready to host matches in spring.
The proposal goes beyond the structure. Anyone playing on the new pitch will be able to use the official ball of international competitions. “People will be able to live this experience right here in Pelotas. It’s something different and we believe it will be highly valued by those who love football,” Marini highlights. The idea is to turn the weekend kickabout into something close to what is seen on TV.
The arrival of the Tahoma 31 is the result of a technical evolution that lasted years. The complex started with landscaping lawns, went through intermediate varieties and now reaches the third generation of sports surfaces – each stage motivated by rising demand and the search for real on-pitch performance.
From Sunday kickabout to professional club training
It all began in the 1990s, when a group of young people from the Cascata community asked the Marini family for a piece of land to play football on weekends. What was informal leisure became structure, a kiosk, a barbecue area and, over time, a series of pitches. Today there are five active lawns, with the sixth on the way.
A milestone in the space’s trajectory came in 2006, when the then Real Madrid player Emerson da Rosa visited the arena during one of these gatherings. “We welcomed him with a blue tarpaulin and it was from there that we decided to invest and organise the space better,” Marini recounts. The friendship endured – and today a panel in honour of the number 11 marks the container of the main pitch.
The list of teams that have trained on the Arena’s pitches is extensive: Vasco da Gama, Internacional, América Mineiro, Ceará, Náutico, Avaí, Chapecoense, Juventude, Mirassol, in addition to Esporte Clube Pelotas and Grêmio Atlético Farroupilha. Currently, Grêmio Esportivo Brasil uses the space regularly for its training sessions.
Alisson, Fred and Larson: the arena as a passage point for talent
The famous names don’t always arrive as established stars. The Internacional under-20 team that trained at the Arena during a certain period featured athletes still in development – among them goalkeeper Alisson Becker and forward Fred. Former defender Edmílson, world champion with the Brazilian national team in 2002, also set foot on these lawns.
More recently, midfielder Larson Torna Ferreira dos Santos, 20, who is part of Palmeiras’ professional squad, passed through the arena during a visit to family in Pelotas. The player, revealed by Goiás and signed by the Verdão in the final year of his development, took advantage of the visit to keep in shape on the complex’s pitches.
Another distinguishing feature that builds loyalty among visitors is the possibility of playing wearing kits inspired by world football’s greatest classics: Real Madrid vs Barcelona, River Plate vs Boca Juniors, Milan vs Inter Milan, among others. “The initiative turns matches between friends into an experience even closer to professional football,” explains administrator Henrique Wilke Schwartz. The service has become one of the most requested at the venue.
