With no fans in the stadiums, many teams are thinking about new formats to involve them in the matches.
In the Czech Republic and Denmark, teams have created a different style of match viewing experience.
Last night, Sparta Prague played its first home match after the break. The games against Viktoria Plzen are usually sold out, but this time they had to play in front of empty stands. The team decided to let 300 fans enter with their cars to a drive-in and watch the match on special screens.
Today’s return of the Danish Superliga will give AGF Aarhus’ fans a chance be in the stadium, but in a unique way - as 10,000 fans will watch their first match using a virtual conference by Zoom. Moreover, some of the screens would be dedicated to Randers' fans, who will support the away team.
"It's about creating an atmosphere around the game," said AGF Aarhus media officer, Søren Carlsen. The new alternative will include a control room with moderators that will act as digital stewards. "If you're behaving not according to the rules, then you will be thrown out of the Zoom meeting."
There was a lot of criticism about the return of football without fans. In Germany, the fans called these matches Geisterspiele - ghost matches. The model of keeping the stadiums in the current situation became the popular resolution in every European country that planned to resume the leagues.
Some countries will try to allow fans to enter the stadiums again, for real. In Hungary, fans will need to keep a three-seat distance from the other. In Serbia, there will be a limit of 1000 fans per match.
Until the world can return to pre-coronavirus times, these initiatives keep fans part of the game. Unlike the cardboard fans or the recorded chants, giving people an option to be with their team, even with a social distancing, can be a proof for the strength of club and community relations.
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Thumbnail photo by Sparta Praha official Twitter account
