Washington: It will soon be the new norm, a cold and often unnerving sight that soccer and many other sports will have to get accustomed to over the coming months.
Games taking place in empty stadiums. But will these stadiums actually be empty? Far from it. “It’s not about 22 players walking onto a pitch and (kicking) a ball about,” FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani told The Associated Press, referring to what he called the “phased-in approach” that soccer — and society as a whole — will need to take to get back to normal following the coronavirus outbreak.
Some teams in Europe have experience in staging games without flag-waving and loudly cheering fans — be it while serving a punishment for crowd trouble or, as was the case in February and March, because of a rapidly spreading virus that turned into a pandemic.
Now, almost every club will be planning for such a scenario as soccer leagues start to ramp up preparations for a resumption which will be staggered depending on how well countries have managed to contain the virus.
Of Europe’s major leagues, Germany appears to be closest to lifting its suspension, with some state governors even hoping to resume games on May 9. The Bundesliga is planning to have a maximum of 213 people in the stadium — everyone from players to TV cameramen. In Britain, which is in the peak of the virus outbreak, a return in late June is the possible — albeit optimistic — call from clubs in the Premier League. One leading club official spoke of the need for at least 300 people at matches.
In Sweden, where soccer authorities are planning for a June 14 restart, a venue official at champion Djurgarden told the AP that it would be possible to limit numbers to 50 if fans aren’t allowed in stadiums.
In Switzerland, leaked plans attained by daily newspaper Blick this week stated there should be no more than 200 essential staff at games. Much depends on the directives from governments and the demands of domestic and international broadcasters, whose money clubs increasingly rely on.
Players and match officials obviously are on the list. Each squad for a match has 18 or 20 players in major European leagues, and some back-ups will be required in case of late withdrawals.
There is a four-person team of match officials (referee, two assistant referees and a fourth official), along with a replacement official. Then there’s the coaching staff — managers, assistants, fitness coaches, physios and a club doctor. Other essential people include a match delegate, an anti-doping official, official photographers and staff from broadcasters (like sound engineers, technicians, camera crew and producers), and medical workers.
In England, for example, there needs to be four paramedics and an ambulance driver at every game. In a list provided by the Spanish league while it planned for games without fans in March, other groups getting stadium access included both teams’ board of directors, community managers, integrity officials and what it termed “technical staff with functions strictly related to holding the games,” which could be a group of up to a maximum of 100 people.
That could include caterers, ground staff, ball boys and girls, maintenance, ground-safety officers, people who run advertising hoardings and stewards. The number of journalists attending would vary from country to country, but that could easily be slimmed down. (AP)
