Brazilian superstar Neymar, along with a number of prominent footballers such as Thiago Silva, Lucas Moura and Philippe Coutinho, launched a strong campaign to stop playing official matches on artificial pitches in Brazil, and to call for improving the quality of natural pitches. The players published a joint statement on social media entitled: "Professional football is natural, not artificial!", stressing the need to pay attention to the quality of the pitches to ensure a better future for Brazilian football. The statement stressed that if Brazil wants to maintain its position in the world of football, it must start by providing high-quality pitches for matches and training. The players added: "In the most respected leagues in the world, players are listened to, and significant investments are made to ensure the quality of natural grass." The Brazilian Football Confederation allows the use of artificial turf pitches, although most of the stadiums in the Brazilian first division, including the legendary Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, rely on natural grass.