Will having no fans at the Santiago Bernabéu affect Real Madrid?
By Ben Sundock
La Liga has made the decision to close its doors for the next two league matches due to concern over the spread of coronavirus. That means Real Madrid will face both Eibar and Valencia in the Santiago Bernabéu without any fans in attendance. Will it affect the team?
The coronavirus has spread to over 100 countries, is harming the world economy, and now, is canceling and affecting our beloved sport. With growing concern surrounding the spread of COVID-19, international sports committees and European football leagues are doing everything in their power to prevent the disease from spreading further.
On Monday, Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte released a statement saying Serie A would halt play entirely until April 3rd after playing matches this past weekend in front of empty stadiums.
While European cup competition will continue in front of closed doors – Juventus will host Lyon in Turin a week from today – domestic cups and league play are on hold for the time being.
This decision was a sign of what was to come as this morning, La Liga and Ligue 1 made the announcement that they too would be playing league matches in stadiums with no fans due to the virus.
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That means while Real Madrid is making a push for the league title with just 11 matches to go, they will host two matches without a supporter in the stands. The statement from the Higher Sports Council (CSD) on the decision states the following personnel are the only ones allowed on the grounds for matches.
"“According to LaLiga information, stadium access will be strictly limited to the following groups:-Players, coaching staff and match officials.-Both teams’ board of directors.-Technical staff with functions strictly related to holding the games, up to a maximum of 100 people.-LaLiga delegates, match directors, anti-doping officials and healthcare personnel.-Integrity officials, public and private security agents, guards for the appropriate areas, firefighters and first-response personnel.-Official photographers and Community managers for both teams.-Staff required by the production company responsible for the official broadcast of the game.”"
I understand that the concern over the spread of the disease is at an all-time high with the number of confirmed cases growing mainly in Italy and now in France and Spain as well, but playing these crucial La Liga matches in front of an empty stadium puts Real Madrid at a disadvantage.
The league is structured to give teams the chance to play every other team at home and away. Playing in front of an empty stadium is like playing a scrimmage in training! The fans add the ambiance that makes matches feel important.
Real Madrid managed a 4-0 win on the road when they faced Eibar in November, but against Valencia, it took a last-second goal from Karim Benzema to earn Los Blancos a draw at the menacing Estadio Mestalla.
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For some players – like Gareth Bale or the struggling Karim Benzema – maybe having no fans in the Bernabéu is a good thing. The jeers and whistles will not be there to irk them.
In the grand scheme of things, however, this is detrimental for every team that has a home match during this two-week span. The advantages of playing in your home stadium are completely gone because of this decision.
It is better than canceling the games outright, but I am still unhappy and fans around Spain should be unhappy too. I just hope the Real Madrid players can keep their focus playing in such a strange environment.