Spain officially resumes the National Football Championship
La Liga returned after a three-month pause caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sevilla defeated Real Betis 2-0. The match of the 28th round of the National Football Championship was held in Seville on Thursday, June 11 with empty stands, where television broadcasts tried to recreate the feeling of a normal match using simulated crowd noise that created the sound effect of the presence of numerous fans. Moreover, the noise increased as the ball approached the goal.
Images of fans, who did not have the same high resolution as in modern video games, were placed on the lower sections of the main stands and behind the goals, and appeared only when the main camera angles were active.
The players were also asked to “minimize physical contact” following the goal, although there were a lot of hugs and many contacts between Sevilla players after striker Lucas Ocampos opened the scoring after a penalty in the 56th minute.
The applauses were played in the 20th minute as part of the “applause of infinity” which the league will promote in every game to commemorate those combatting the pandemic in Spain.
After the match, the players also hugged each other and celebrated in front of the stands, as if fans were present. “We dedicate victory to them”, said Ocampos. “They could not come, but we felt their presence. We must adapt to this moment”.
The league says virtual crowds are only meant to enhance the viewing experience when matches are played in empty stadiums. Over 600 police and private guards were called in to work during the match to keep fans from gathering. Only a few media representatives were allowed into the stadium.
The league does not rule out that the real fans will return to the stands by the season end if Spain continues to gradually remove the restrictions caused by the pandemic.
Thus, the Championship of Spain in the main division of the country officially resumed. He became the next in Europe and the second of the top 5 national championships of the continent, breaking the pause that arose in spring due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The first of the top 5 championships in Europe was resumed by the German Bundesliga (May 16). The pause in the championships will end in England on June 17, in the Italian Serie A on June 20. As for France, the championship in this country was completed ahead of schedule, where the leading PSG was declared the winner.
Championships have also been resumed in a number of other countries. For example, gold winner, Crvena Zvezda, was identified in Serbia immediately afterwards. The Championship of Russia will resume on June 19.
ORIENT news
