Kansas City Chiefs and LA Rams' Mexico City game moved to LA Coliseum
Tuesday 13 November 2018 22:33, UK
Next Monday's NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs has been relocated from Mexico City to Los Angeles because of unsafe field conditions.
The NFL announced on Tuesday that the game will now be played at the LA Coliseum because the playing surface at Estadio Azteca did not meet NFL standards.
A statement read: "The decision is based on the determination - in consultation with the NFLPA and following a meeting and field inspection this afternoon by NFL - that the playing field at Estadio Azteca does not meet NFL standards for playability and consistency and will not meet those standards by next Monday."
"We have worked extensively with our partners at Estadio Azteca for months in preparation for this game," said NFL executive vice president of internationals Mark Waller.
"Until very recently, we had no major concerns. But, the combination of a difficult rainy season and a heavy multi-event calendar of events at the stadium, have resulted in significant damage to the field that presents unnecessary risks to player safety and makes it unsuitable to host an NFL game.
"As a result, we have determined that moving the game is the right decision, and one that we needed to announce now in order to allow our teams and fans to make alternate arrangements."
Two recent events apparently damaged the hybrid playing surface, a combination of grass and synthetic filler. The stadium hosted a large music concert on November 7 and a soccer match on November 10.
According to NFL rules, the home team in an international game - in this case, Los Angeles - must keep its home stadium available in the event the contest has to be moved.
The Chiefs and Rams share the best record in the NFL at 9-1.
