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Safety first as Spanish Gov't wants season to end behind closed doors

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2020-06-12 09:30:51Xinhua Editor : Li Yan ECNS App Download
Special: Battle Against Novel Coronavirus

The President of Spain's Superior Sports Committee, Irene Lozano on Thursday put an end to hopes that fans could return to Spain's football grounds this season as the country recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

La Liga returns to action behind closed doors after a three-month lay-off on Thursday as Sevilla entertain local rivals Betis and with Spain relaxing coronavirus lockdown restrictions, La Liga President, Javier Tebas had speculated about the possibility of fans being allowed back into grounds before the campaign is due to end on July 19th.

However, speaking on TV network Antena 3, Lozano, who heads the government controlled body that decides if and when fans can return to Spain's stadiums, explained she has no intention of opening the doors in the near future.

"I'm going to make it clear," she said. "We cannot have fans in the grounds. If we have learned anything (from the pandemic), it is that this spreads very quickly and we cannot open the grounds."

Bars and restaurants in Spain are now able to open at between 30-50 percent capacity, but Lozano saw a similar solution as problematical in football.

"30 percent capacity in a football ground could be 20,000 people; to organize all of the transport, how they are seating the ground and making sure they remain seated ... I think the best thing from a sanitary viewpoint for us is to play behind closed doors," she explained. 

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