Football Sports News Wrapping: What Happened to Football in 2020 and What is Next

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic affected each aspect of football, from how fans watch the game to how players get to play to its income generation. FIFA has said that football may lose one-third of its value in terms of income due to the pandemic.

According to a Uruguayan football fanatic and historian, Eduardo Galeano, there is nothing less empty than an empty stadium, and there is nothing less mute than stands bereft of spectators. His truism has been tested repeatedly in 2020 globally since football has been negatively affected by the pandemic. Betting sites and casinos were reduced to virtual hubs, and online football betting became the order of the day.

The pandemic has affected every aspect related to football. The game is now being played differently with different rules and how fans get to watch a match. Most of the partners have zero spectators, and where fans are allowed, the number is restricted. When the pandemic started spreading globally in early 2020, almost all leagues globally were put on hold.

Fans addicted to watching their favorite teams play had no option but to watch past matches of their teams or the Belarus Super League since it was the only European League to play till the end of March.

Among the most significant competitions to get postponed was the Euro 2020, which got pushed to 2021 so was the Copa America. Many sports enthusiasts described the situation as a big wake-up call to the football department.

It is essential to have football fans get into stadiums and watch their favorite teams and to cheer them. It is what football is used to, hence the interruption came as a shock to football fans.

Most clubs are already struggling to pay their debts. Most players have had to be forced to take pay-cuts to try and balance the club's books. Among the clubs that have suffered most are the smaller clubs that hugely rely on match-day revenue. The clubs have been left with no option but to seek bail-outs.

The none-league and lower-league football players are struggling to stay in the loop since they did not get TV revenue to run the day-to-day activities at the club.

Empty stands

The possibility of fan-filled stands got overruled after looking at the risks involved. Most of the countries called off their seasons even though many resumed in May or June. Surprisingly, no fan or few fans were allowed into the vicinity due to the pandemic's seriousness.

After 30 years of struggling to win the premier league, Liverpool finally achieved fate but in an empty stadium. Players are used to noisy stadiums from fans, but 2020 has been a different year. Football enthusiasts have agreed that having fans in the stadium is essential since it is clear that even players miss having fans around.

Playing on

Ever since the pandemic was reported in the world of football, we have seen weird score-lines such as small teams thrashing big teams, something that has surprised the world of football. Teams no longer have the home advantage since the stands are empty. Despite many players testing positive, football matches have not been halted ever since they resumed.

Careful handling of players and the expectation of players and fans being vaccinated. Shortly, football could return to normalcy in 2021, but that depends on how teams conduct themselves.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes