How Covid-19 Impacted Football Stadium Operations

FOOTBALL STADIUM OPERATIONS
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FOOTBALL STADIUM OPERATIONS
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected individuals' daily lives. Numerous industries have been impacted, among them being the football sector in the United Kingdom (UK). For the fans, enthusiasts, lovers, and followers of football leagues, there is no going to stadiums during major tournaments or matches. The UK government suspended fans from attending live matches to reduce overcrowding, facilitating the fast spread of coronavirus. The implemented regulations are necessary to prevent many people from being infected with COVID-19, which is a highly communicable disease. The virus that started in Wuhan, China, has spread to numerous countries and territories in the world. In that light, football enthusiasts and lovers are not allowed to enter stadiums during major leagues or football series. During lockdowns, football seasons were put on hold, and big matches were canceled on short notice when some players tested positive for coronavirus. Under normal conditions, football matches are very thrilling, with fans all over making noises when supporting their favorite teams. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly contributed to the football industry's evolution, particularly since stadiums do not generate revenues by selling tickets to the fans. The football industry's return to normality is unprecedented and unpredictable since it is not known when coronavirus will be eliminated. COVID-19 has adversely affected football stadium operations in the UK and football leagues, such as Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and La Liga.
The UK government suspended outdoor sporting activities in mid-March 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic was rapidly spreading in England. Since that time, stadiums started restricting fans from attending live football matches since all forms of public gatherings were suspended to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. Up-to-date, football enthusiasts watch football matches on the television since only players and few other individuals are allowed to enter stadiums to ensure that tournaments are broadcasted. The UK has numerous football fans, and millions of them do not fail to attend matches in their local areas. Additionally, 10% of UK fans travel for long distances to witness their favorite teams playing (Reade, Olczak, & Yeo, 2020). Some individuals from other countries go to the UK to attend live matches. The 2019/20 football season was significantly affected since numerous matches were postponed and stadiums closed completely. However, football clubs had to devise ways to ensure that the season continued despite fans' restrictions to the stadiums. In particular, about 180 matches were played in the UK between 7th March and 14th March 2020. Some of them include the European Champions League with a match between Atletico Madrid and Liverpool, and the League Cup Final at Wembley stadium (Reade, Olczak, & Yeo, 2020). The following graph shows the distribution of stadiums' percentage capacity in the 2019/20 season.
Figure 1: Fans Percentage Distribution Capacity in UK Stadiums in 2019/20 Season


As shown in figure 1 above, the stadium attendance capacity frequency was high when the 2019/20 football season kicked off. Specifically, many UK stadiums were filled with fans, and their capacities were almost full. However, things changed to the worst when the UK government suspended public gatherings and outdoor sporting activities to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Many individuals were obliged to watch their favorite matches at home since only players, coaches, assistants, and the media crew were allowed to enter the stadiums. The few people who enter the stadiums even today are supposed to adhere to the strict COVID-19 protocols to minimize the disease's spread.
The UK has some of the largest football stadiums in the world. For example, Wembley is the biggest UK stadium with a capacity of about 90,000. Indeed, it belongs to Tottenham Hotspur (Triebel, 2017). Old Trafford, Manchester United's stadium, has a capacity of 75,643. Principality has a capacity of 74,500, and Emirates can host 60,432 football fans, Celtic F.C. 60,411, Etihad Stadium has 48,000 and is being reconstructed to accommodate 55,000 fans. Moreover, Anfield can accommodate 54,074 fans, St. James Park has a capacity of 52,405 fans, and Hampden Park can hold 51,866 fans (Triebel, 2017). As can be seen, the UK is the home for the largest football stadiums. Many people love football, and international visitors flock to the country during major leagues. However, currently, regardless of the large capacities of the UK stadiums, government and club restrictions in the wake of coronavirus have hindered fans from accessing these football fields. International travel bans have also contributed to the lack of live match attendance by football fans. Many of these stadiums are owned and operated by the largest clubs since they generate revenue through the sale of tickets during major matches (Hammerschmidt, Durst, Kraus, & Puumalainen, 2021). In that light, the revenue that clubs gather by selling tickets has dwindled since new COVID-19 regulations require fans to stay away from stadiums. Additionally, major leagues' schedules and fixtures have been significantly affected since some matches are postponed, particularly when some players test positive for coronavirus.
Some of the football stadiums in major leagues that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic include Ligue 1, Serie A, La Liga, and Bundesliga. When the coronavirus infections started to increase rapidly in Spain, top soccer leagues had to make some changes to control the spread of the virus. Even after the government declared a state of emergency, La Liga 2019/20 season was only interrupted, but it was finished successfully. Strict rules had to be implemented, careful planning, and dire warnings, particularly due to the movement of players from one place to another to play their final matches. In September 2020, Spain encountered over 220 deaths per day, which made the government impose lockdowns that affected approximately 850,000 Madrid residents (Panja, 2020). La Liga officials introduced strict measures to ensure that the season was completed successfully. Some of the new regulations were banning stadium access by fans, restricting players' physical interactions, and testing players and their families to ensure their safety. La Liga sent special coronavirus packs to their players, with fliers detailing proper health recommendations and hand sanitizers. Players were advised to shower and change at home since locker rooms were identified as a significant transmission vector (Panja, 2020). Overall, La Liga fans no longer enter football stadiums to control the spread of COVID-19, and players are expected to maintain social distance while in the stadiums.
Italy was one of the countries that were hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. On 3rd April 2020, fans were restricted from entering football stadiums in all sporting events (ESPN News, 2020). Serie A was among the football leagues significantly affected by the COVID-19 restrictions. Football officials collaborated with the Italian government to contain the spread of coronavirus, which had already killed many people. Some of Serie A's major football games that were postponed are Juventus versus Lyon, Inter Milan versus Roma, and Europe League games, such as Getafe versus Sevilla. One of the first games that played without fans in the stadium was Inter Milan versus Ludogorets (ESPN News, 2020). Serie A postponed various games so that officials can implement new measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 among players. Many matches were played in closed stadiums, and fans' physical participation was banned entirely. From April last year to the present, all Serie A matches that have been played happened without fans. As such, stadiums have been losing a lot of money that they collect by selling tickets to football enthusiasts. Nevertheless, the most significant thing is that even though matches are postponed depending on the status of a country's rate of coronavirus infections, many of them have been played successfully.
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