The New Era of Football

You don’t have to be a football fan at all to realise that plenty of things have changed. For better or for worse, plenty of things are completely different in this pandemic landscape that we’re slowly getting used to. Being the most popular sport worldwide, both football and its massive fanbase following had been through a lot. First, we had a complete stop. For many weeks, the whole planet went without a single game.

Betting places resorted to playing virtual football as we were locked up in our homes, desperately waiting for something to enjoy. Of course, we had plenty of free mobile games, but that wasn’t enough to cut it.

Then, one after the other, countries started slowly lifting curfews. After a longer break, we finally had some games to look forward to. Certain governments even allowed the live audience to enter stadiums, which later proved to not be the best move. Nevertheless, football started once again and, at least for now, it’s not going anywhere. However, the whole thing is different now. There are obvious things that one can notice right off the bat, but there are also more subtle changes that can be both good and bad. It doesn’t take a particularly knowledgeable or interested person to figure out that games are now being played on empty stadiums.

While, initially, it doesn’t hurt us, the viewers, it does take out of the atmosphere. You can’t hear the roar of a hyped-up mob turning into screams of excitement or silence of sadness at the end of breathtaking action. And we can’t even imagine how the players themselves feel. They were used to being cheered on or yelled at and, now, it’s as if they are having a practice match every time.

On the other hand, the charm of the game of football can never be lost. Just take a look at the Champions League. While they have been through plenty of adjustments, they are still going strong. Having adapted to the change, the tournament is going forward, albeit, in a different style. The remaining matches are all being played in Portugal and, of course, behind closed doors. Not just that, but they are to be played in a mini-tournament style. Teams will go through the knockout phase by playing single-legged ties.

At first, you might take a look at the current situation and see nothing but the downside. No audience and lower number of matches mean an overall less excitement and football-watching. However, there is a silver lining to this whole ordeal, just like with VR games, once you realise how captivating they are. For starters, you might’ve noticed how the games themselves are rather active and lively.

After taking those longs breaks, even players are aching for good football. In turn, they are rewarding us with some of the best plays yet. And, regarding the lower volume of matches, that just means that everything is now much more important and more exciting.