EA Sports And Anthony Joshua Unveil 5-a-side Pitch

To celebrate the release of FIFA 20 on 27th September, EA SPORTS and Anthony Joshua have collaborated on a five-a-side football pitch which has been unveiled in East London.

The ‘Lion’s Den’ pitch is inspired by a new playable, in-game mode called VOLTA which allows players to play in small-sided games in courts around the world. Based in Shoreditch, the London pitch will be open to the public, some of whom will be able to play for free as EA SPORTS has donated 250 free playing hours to allow the local community to get involved without charge.

Designed by Joshua, the Lion’s Den features camouflage style walls, while each corner of the pitch has a compass marking, which represent north, south, east and west London in an attempt to celebrate the city’s diversity.

Joshua said: “I grew up playing a lot of street football. I’d play at least eight hours with my friends every Sunday and it fostered a real sense of community. With pitches and youth clubs closing daily, the opportunity for kids and even adults to come together is becoming restricted so I’m delighted to partner with EA SPORTS to celebrate small-sided football and make it more accessible to Londoners. Hopefully they like my design.”

Samantha Ebelthite, UK&I Country Manager, Electronic Arts, added: “We always strive to blur the lines between the virtual and real worlds of football and this latest initiative is no different. VOLTA football in FIFA 20 is all about expression, where the streets influence the pitches that matches are played on. This was why we chose to partner with Anthony Joshua, to provide an authentic personal perspective on the design.”