Munich's World Cup stadium needs new pitch

BERLIN, Mar 14 (Reuters) The pitch at Munich's new Allianz Arena, which will host the opening match of the World Cup on June 9, is being replaced, Bayern Munich said today.

The German champions, who play their home games at the Arena, said the new pitch would be in place for Sunday's home Bundesliga game against Schalke 04.

Wintry weather damaged the pitch which was re-laid last November.

''Even Barcelona would have problems playing on a pitch in that state,'' Bayern coach Felix Magath told the club's website.

The Munich stadium needed repairs earlier this month after a bearing in a joint between two concrete slabs was damaged.

It is not the first stadium in Germany to require repairs ahead of the World Cup.This month cracks were discovered in a supporting column at the brand-new Frankfurt arena, which has also had a leaky roof.

In Kaiserslautern, a Bundesliga game had to be called off last December after a crack appeared in the east stand of the 85-year-old Fritz-Walter-Stadion.

The opening match between Germany and Costa Rica will be played in the Munich stadium, which cost 280 million euros (335 million dollars) and was opened last year.

REUTERS PDS KN2145