La Liga gets its want season return however, not without compromise
La Liga president Javier Tebas said the games would need to continue and from Thursday they'll, with stadiums full of virtual fans, crowd noise from a video game and fewer than 300 people permitted to attend.
Due to Ligue 1 in France was called off and the Premier League, even now the benchmark for Spanish football, tied itself in knots, La Liga has been steadfast in its quest for completion.
“I always believed we would play again,” stated Tebas on Sunday.
The federal government in Spain had indicated it will be good for morale, maybe even very important to their standing in the world, as the country’s infatuation with football meant the prime minister was often addressing the question of its return.
Yet driving La Liga’s determination, as Tebas admitted, was the fear of monetary meltdown. Cancellation would expense clubs a billion euros, he repeated, and no team will be spared.
Even with the growing season going to resume, Barcelona and True Madrid have had to impose pay cuts. Atletico Madrid said they enforced a drop in wages “to guarantee their future”.
Public opposition to the season ongoing has therefore been fleeting. Eibar’s players said last month these were “afraid” to return to training while Valencia’s Gabriel Paulista was one of the few to say it felt rushed.
Among the governing bodies, the players’ union (AFE) was sidelined and even the conflict between La Liga and the Spanish football federation (RFEF) was largely placed on hold.
Instead, La Liga has answered to medical authorities, who've always had the energy to scrap actually the innovative plans at any granted moment.
Therefore when Sevilla host True Betis in Thursday to get started a 39-day sprint finish with matches each day, they will do thus according to strict guidelines that possibly this week were nonetheless being updated.
“We’ve planned everything to the last millimetre,” Tebas said.
- Infection risk ‘practically zero’ -
Players will come to be tested for coronavirus within a day of kick-off and visiting teams use exclusive flights and hotels, before going to stadiums found in two buses to ensure social distancing is maintained. Home team players will arrive in their own cars.
Both sets of players could have their temperatures taken before entering stadiums and can arrive wearing masks and gloves. All communal areas like changing rooms will become disinfected and aired before, after and during games.
Only 270 people will be allowed inside stadiums, including club players and staff, doctors and security personnel, matchday and club officials, along with press and technicians.
Through the match, fans enjoying on television can choose to adopt a digital experience that puts pictures of seated supporters, using the colors of the home team, in the stands.
You will see artificial sound too - extracted from the video game FIFA, using sound recorded from true matches - that may then be adapted and implemented in line with the flow of the action.
Tributes will come to be paid to the victims and heroes of the coronavirus pandemic, found in the form of a minute’s silence before kick-off and applause, contributed by true supporters and transmitted in the stadium, in the 20th minute.
Tebas has insisted the risk of infection once games are in play is “almost zero” given the amount of physical contact however the summer heat in Spain should be considered too.
Fixture lists now include temperature predictions and, already, two kick-off times have been adjusted. Five substitutes will become allowed rather than three, along with two drinks breaks.
Some regions in Spain contain moved faster through the government’s de-escalation programme than other folks and Tebas has said he'd maintain favour of clubs getting supporters back when they can.
That could accelerate the league’s original timetable for 30 per cent of fans to come back in September, 50 per cent in November and 100 % found in January 2021. Until after that, everyone will need to adapt.
