In South Korea, football is closed and unmanaged
South Korean authorities have already begun to loosen restrictive measures they have taken to stem the spread of the new coronavirus epidemic. South Korean football clubs will be able to start preparations for friendly matches that will take place without spectators in the stands from Tuesday, that is, behind closed doors, the football association said.
The date on which clubs will be able to resume the South Korean Premier League has not been set. The start of the league was postponed for another two months due to the covid-19 epidemic. South Korea, after China, was the second country most affected by the coronavirus. But Seoul has managed to reverse the trend mainly because of its population testing strategy. The epidemic, like elsewhere in the world, stopped all sports activities and completely turned the calendar of league competitions upside down.
Building on its success in curbing the epidemic, the South Korean government has announced that it will gradually allow sports activities, initially only in stadiums, that is, outdoors and without spectators in the stands. On Monday night, the Korean Professional Football Federation then announced that its clubs will be able to play preparatory matches from Tuesday. A K-League spokesman told French news agency AFP that the exact schedule of the preparatory matches would be discussed between the clubs.
Only the movement of the TV cameras was heard
Fans will not be allowed in the stadiums, and press coverage will be restricted, the association said in a press release, AFP reported. For security reasons, players will not be allowed to speak during matches. They also will not have to shake hands with judges. The South Korean Football League is scheduled to begin in February, according to the original schedule. However, K-League representatives stopped it because of the pandemic. South Korean news agency Yonhap reports that the clubs have agreed to relaunch the league in mid-May.
South Korea reported nine new cases of infection on Monday, down from 20 new infections for the fourth consecutive day. A total of 10,683 people were infected in South Korea, of which 237 died. In South Korea, however, they decided to start the first preseason league games of baseball as early as Tuesday. It is one of the most popular sports in South Korea. However, these matches also take place in front of completely empty stands.
The Seoul Doosan Bears and LG Twins rivals were reportedly strangely silent, with only the movement of television cameras being heard. Only 50 members of the media team were allowed into the stadium. However, journalists should not have approached the players. The baseball regular season is set to begin May 5 behind closed doors of stadiums. In the case of baseball, the health protocol involves the regular measurement of body heat before the games, and journalists and others who are allowed to enter the stadiums are advised to use mouth and nose protective masks.
