Football & Coronavirus [READ MOD NOTE IN FIRST POST - updated 06-05-20]

OwaynOTT

Collie D wrote: »

I think you’re completely misquoting him there. He’s worried about his health and the health of his family and he (rightly or wrongly) thinks the restart is for that tax. The tax wasn’t his reason for objecting.

You’re probably right but I just thought it was a strange thing to bring up.

Tom Mann Centuria

Don't think there's been wider statistics yet, but BAME deaths in healthcare workers in the UK absolutely swamp all others (I think its well above 80% but could be wrong), so if I was a person in that group, like a good chunk of Premier League footballers are, I'd be a bit more apprehensive too.

Mitch Connor

Drumpot wrote: »

If you were a professional footballer which country do you think you would feel more comfortable playing the game? Germany or UK?

Genuinely I don't know.

As a member of the public I would answer Germany.

But as a footballer, whose level of protection, testing and access to medical professionals will be far higher than anyone in the public sphere.... its completely different.

I genuinely have no idea if the proposed protocols and safety requirements being put in place for football clubs (mainly PL perspective here) is better or worse than BL model.

Drumpot

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Genuinely I don't know.

As a member of the public I would answer Germany.

But as a footballer, whose level of protection, testing and access to medical professionals will be far higher than anyone in the public sphere.... its completely different.

I genuinely have no idea if the proposed protocols and safety requirements being put in place for football clubs (mainly PL perspective here) is better or worse than BL model.

I’d personally feel better In Germany by default but I do take your point.

I’d rather be in a country that’s culturally more responsible then be relying on corporate responsibility. Again, I think you are correct but I think this is why you have some players less confident about going back then others.

ArmaniJeanss

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

Don't think there's been wider statistics yet, but BAME deaths in healthcare workers in the UK absolutely swamp all others (I think its well above 80% but could be wrong), so if I was a person in that group, like a good chunk of Premier League footballers are, I'd be a bit more apprehensive too.

There isn't necessarily a link between skin-colour/race and the virus though.
It just so happens that (for various reasons best left to politics and economic boards) BAME people tend to be lower paid and in the NHS front-line, as cleaners, porters, nurses etc.
Whilst the figures in other industries haven't been broken down, I suspect you'll find that the percentage of bus drivers, bin men etc who've died is also proportionally higher in the BAME community.

The non-white lads in the top tiers of football live in a different world relatively.

Great to see football returning today! Hopefully it's successful and it's the beginning of watching football regularly once again.

fergiesfolly

6 wrote: »

Great to see football returning today! Hopefully it's successful and it's the beginning of watching football regularly once again.

My concern if I was a footballer, would be my fellow professionals.
All it takes is another Walker or Grealish acting the idiot and infecting other players and then maybe their families.
And before anyone says they're in lockdown, how many stories have we heard from former players about breaking curfew or smuggling friends and girls into team hotels. And before someone says they wouldn't be that stupid...yes they would. They already have.

Mitch Connor

fergiesfolly wrote: »

My concern if I was a footballer, would be my fellow professionals.
All it takes is another Walker or Grealish acting the idiot and infecting other players and then maybe their families.
And before anyone says they're in lockdown, how many stories have we heard from former players about breaking curfew or smuggling friends and girls into team hotels. And before someone says they wouldn't be that stupid...yes they would. They already have.

But that is the point of continuous testing. And unless the players have been isolating at home on their own for two months they can have become infected as much as walker or grealish.

eigrod

Mitch Connor wrote: »

But that is the point of continuous testing. And unless the players have been isolating at home on their own for two months they can have become infected as much as walker or grealish.

You have been spot on on this throughout in my opinion.

No other non-medical profession can be as prepared as PL football to get it right to return safely. Each of the 20 clubs have their own team of qualified medical doctors and other highly qualified medical personnel. It’s literally their job to ensure the safety of the players and other people within the club. If it’s not safe, I am confident they will act appropriately. If players take to the field, it will be because it’s safe to do so.

Iused2likebusts

Footballers are young, footballers are fit and not overweight, footballers you would assume will be aware a lot more than the general public of any underlying issues as they regularly get medicals. If a footballer lives with somebody that is in the vulnerable category then they have a choice to make.

LuckyLloyd

Great to see football again, well done to Germany.

Cantona's Collars

No BS with 'no look tackles' or anything, just getting stuck in and playing the game. Apparently the safety documents and questionnaire is akin to War and Peace but if it has to be done then so be it.

ricero

A triumph for football and lovers of the beautiful game for what is happening today in Germany.

Hopefully the premier league will be back very soon.

~Rebel~

Cantona's Collars wrote: »

No BS with 'no look tackles' or anything, just getting stuck in and playing the game. Apparently the safety documents and questionnaire is akin to War and Peace but if it has to be done then so be it.

Indeed. Makes sense really... these lads have played the game one way for their entire lives. it's muscle memory for them. And that's exactly the way they're playing now. Good game so far, even with a bit of rust showing every now and again.

Cantona's Collars

Listening to the preview yesterday on Talksport,the Bundesliga players agreed to any potential paycuts within an hour,they felt anything that was for the good of the game superceded the loss of a few quid.
It's a different mentality in German football.

~Rebel~

Cantona's Collars wrote: »

Listening to the preview yesterday on Talksport,the Bundesliga players agreed to any potential paycuts within an hour,they felt anything that was for the good of the game superceded the loss of a few quid.
It's a different mentality in German football.

And Germany in general I'd say.

citytillidie

Oh it is a different goal show compared to the Champions League one, think the CL one is better.

Fitz*

Some decent football being played here by Leipzig.

Mitch Connor

Can the Appreciation of the German matches and coverage be kept to the BL thread?

LuckyLloyd

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Can the Appreciation of the German matches and coverage be kept to the BL thread?

So we shouldn’t discuss the most relevant event to the topic of this thread in weeks?!

kksaints

Quite a few cases of cramp in the last 20 minutes of the Hoffenheim-Hertha match. Intensity of the match was good before that, might take a few weeks for full fitness.

Mitch Connor

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

So we shouldn’t discuss the most relevant event to the topic of this thread in weeks?!

"Oh, Its a different Goal Show..."

"Some decent football played by Leipzig".

Is that not more suited to the BL thread, than a discussion on the impact of Covid 19 on football?

Tom Mann Centuria

468 people died according to latest UK figures. Less than a 100 in Germany. And still according to some reports up to 60% of the German public don't think that the Bundesliga should be restarted.

https://twitter.com/matt_4d/status/1261618381427560454?s=20
https://twitter.com/dw_sports/status/1261232968196128768?s=20

NIMAN

When all the tv money came into football, it would often be said that the big clubs didn't need people through the turnstiles to actually be in the stadia, as it was not a big part of their income.

Watching the Dortmund game today with no fans, it is a soulless sort of sport.

Football without fans is nothing.

.G.

It is but thought Klopp made a good point on TV today. We all fell in love with the game first, the love of the spectacle that goes with it came later. I still enjoyed the games today.

~Rebel~

.G. wrote: »

It is but thought Klopp made a good point on TV today. We all fell in love with the game first, the love of the spectacle that goes with it came later. I still enjoyed the games today.

Same, really enjoyed. And agree with Klopp... this felt like watching my own teams from the sidelines when i've been injured or just on the bench or something. Yes, I prefer it with a big audience and chanting and all, but there was something interesting in the nuts and bolts sunday league football atmosphere of this.

Fitz*

I watch football for the football, not to listen to the fans in the crowd, although that does add to the game.

Now that's not to say that I don't appreciate the whole spectacle that the fans bring while watching a came that I am invested in, or not invested in. I also recognise the affect that supporters can have on a team and a game. Possibly my favourite game I've had the pleasure of sitting in the Kop for was the CL quarter final against Man City a few years ago and it was said at the time how much of an impact the crowd had on the players on the field.

I also enjoyed the football in the German game today and while the game as a spectacle overall and probably as a game itself would have been better with fans there, having no fans didn't put me off watching it.

NIMAN

Hear where you are all coming from, but I suspect many would turn off if that was how football was to be from now on.

Hopefully it'll get back to packed stadia at some point.

NIMAN

NIMAN wrote: »

Hear where you are all coming from, but I suspect many would turn off if that was how football was to be from now on.

Hopefully it'll get back to packed stadia at some point.

A few posters have said they weren't interested if fans aren't in the ground. Could be a long wait as a lot of next season could be behind closed doors. No fans in the ground is horrible, but it's miles better than no football.

Agent Coulson

Listening to a podcast and they were talking about no fans at games and mentioned something I found a bit sad in one way the handful of fans that have never missed a game their team has played, Now there would not be many but there are fans that would not have missed a game to 10/20/30/40 years etc and now those records will be broken.


Also some fans may lose their season tickets something they may never get back with the demand for season tickets at some clubs.

Agent Coulson

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Listening to a podcast and they were talking about no fans at games and mentioned something I found a bit sad in one way the handful of fans that have never missed a game their team has played, Now there would not be many but there are fans that would not have missed a game to 10/20/30/40 years etc and now those records will be broken.


Also some fans may lose their season tickets something they may never get back with the demand for season tickets at some clubs.

There would be uproar and rightly so if people lost season tickets over this. Don't think that'll happen tbh.

It'd be an interesting experiment to see how a season with no fans affected results.

irelandrover

How would people lose season tickets? Whoever had a season ticket will be able to renew. It's not going to be a free for all after this.

wadacrack

Great to have football back. Seems like its very low risk for transmission. I think in a few weeks this will prove to be the right decision and give some encouragement for other leagues to resume playing.


""While the infectious inoculum required for infection is unknown, these studies indicate that close & prolonged contact is required for #COVID19 transmission"



https://statsports.com/statsports-white-paper-player-proximity-report/?fbclid=IwAR0sdi2Vsw_yFsvW7Ig8caplBEHej_g5jv1ALvhYN00RBxGxi5gQGxdsVbM

https://twitter.com/mugecevik/status/1257392347010215947?fbclid=IwAR1G3RImMV32yVFxNXEBxPlz5Rib-Qq6CthRbET9lsOWBhJzP7POJ-Exc-M

.G.

If the first few rounds go well the players in other leagues will be chomping at the bit to get back themselves.

LuckyLloyd

NIMAN wrote: »

When all the tv money came into football, it would often be said that the big clubs didn't need people through the turnstiles to actually be in the stadia, as it was not a big part of their income.

Watching the Dortmund game today with no fans, it is a soulless sort of sport.

Football without fans is nothing.

Well this is the reality until a vaccine or highly successful treatment becomes available.

SEPT 23 1989

Crowds can turn a game

NIMAN

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Well this is the reality until a vaccine or highly successful treatment becomes available.

What if we never get a vaccine?

Football behind closed doors forever?:rolleyes:

LuckyLloyd

NIMAN wrote: »

What if we never get a vaccine?

Football behind closed doors forever?:rolleyes:

That question has devastating implications for things that are arguably a lot more important than football. Society’s plan as it stands is to protect people until one comes available. There seems to be a high degree of confidence that one will become available with time.

People don’t like that and I understand why. But all sorts of businesses including professional sport need to adjust to compromised service or not operate at all.

Purism is dead for now.

wadacrack

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Well this is the reality until a vaccine or highly successful treatment becomes available.

If numbers are very low in countries crowds will be permitted eventually. I think this is possible without a vaccine

ShamoBuc

NIMAN wrote: »

What if we never get a vaccine?

Football behind closed doors forever?:rolleyes:

If we never get a vaccine, then life as we know will change considerably.
That includes football.
Football behind closed doors or no football at all.
Easy choice.

gormdubhgorm

I am just watching the highlights of Dortmund Schalke. Never mind the good goals that were scored and that.

Two things I realised with post covid19 football.

1) The ref will never be able to use the whistle if he wears a mask

2) Players look very silly doing elaborate celebrations without a crowd

~Rebel~

wadacrack wrote: »

If numbers are very low in countries crowds will be permitted eventually. I think this is possible without a vaccine

it's a very tricky thing to approach, and contains a lot of permutations that we simply don't know the values of.

If, for instance, numbers are low because the virus has already swept through, and only a small % of people haven't had it, then yes, you could start having people together. (Swedish attempted model).

If the numbers are low because people have been isolating at home and social distancing to keep it from spreading, but a high % of people have not caught it, then the moment you put people back together again in crowds, it would rip through the population like wildfire.

Then, you also have the question of immunity - if you had it are you now immune, or does it only buy you 12 - 18 months? If so, then even in the former case above, you couldn't really return to crowds as you will always have a sizable portion of the population that are vulnerable to it. Same applies if the virus mutates to a new form for which the previous antibodies are no longer successful.

As with so many aspects of this bloody thing, a lot comes down to; "we just don't know yet."

Sanity_Saviour

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Well this is the reality until a vaccine or highly successful treatment becomes available.

Just a note here to say social distancing is to flatten the curve, so the goal is to get back to normal sooner rather than later rather than shut everything down for the foreseeable future.

There has never been a vaccine for a coronavirus

Cantona's Collars

Sanity_Saviour wrote: »

Just a note here to say social distancing is to flatten the curve, so the goal is to get back to normal sooner rather than later rather than shut everything down for the foreseeable future.

There has never been a vaccine for a coronavirus

Well according to anecdotal reports from England, social distancing went out the window with Boris's announcement of getting people back to work. Huge amounts took it as a signal to resume life as normal as if the pandemic suddenly ended last week.

Mitch Connor

Sanity_Saviour wrote: »

Just a note here to say social distancing is to flatten the curve, so the goal is to get back to normal sooner rather than later rather than shut everything down for the foreseeable future.

There has never been a vaccine for a coronavirus

there has never been a massive financial incentive for a vaccine, and current trials of ones at the moment are going very well.

Dunno why the fook you would put a smily on the end of that sentence btw "The pandemic will never really end " FFS.

Social Distancing wasn't to flatten the curve. Lockdown (in its various forms) was to flatten the curve, Social Distancing will be in place to a large degree until a vaccine or viable treatment is found.

The_Kew_Tour

UEFA has a plan to finish the 2019-20 season by August, including the Champions League and Europa League campaigns, the European soccer governing body's president Aleksander Ceferin has said.

The majority of European league seasons were suspended in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic but a few leagues have announced plans for a restart in the coming weeks.

The French and Dutch top-flight campaigns have been cancelled but the German Bundesliga restarted on Saturday and Ceferin expects at least 80% of national leagues to finish their seasons.

"We have an idea but we have to wait for the executive committee of UEFA to confirm the dates. I can say that the European season will be finished, if everything is as it is now, in August," Ceferin told beIN Sports.

"As things look now, I'm sure... that we can finish the European season and this means UEFA competition.

"I think the majority of leagues will finish the season. The ones who will not, it's their decision. But they will still have to play qualifiers if they want to participate in the European UEFA competition."


Both the Champions League and Europa League are yet to complete their last-16 matches.

Paris St Germain, who were declared Ligue 1 champions, are looking to play their Champions League games abroad after the French government said professional sports would not be allowed to return before September.

"Paris St Germain and Lyon... will have to organise (matches) in France," Ceferin added. "If this is not possible, (they) will have to organise it at a neutral ground.

"If you cannot play in your country, then you have to organise it at a neutral ground... I don't see the reason why French authorities would not allow them to organise a match without spectators, but let's see. It's out of my power."

Euro 2020, scheduled to be hosted in 12 cities across Europe, has been postponed until next year.

"We've had conversations with nine cities and everything is set," Ceferin said. "With three cities, we have some issues. So we will discuss further. In principle, we will do it in 12 cities but if not, we are ready to do it in 10, nine or eight."

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2020/0517/1138930-european-season-will-finish-in-august-says-uefa-chief/

Fitz*

I'm guessing the next step for the resumption of football across more countries will be in the testing results next weekend? To see if there is a spike in cases amongst the German teams after playing a round of games. If there is not a spike in positive cases, then we can assume that the mass testing is contributing to a safe environment, along with the social distancing measures implemented in the past.

Cantona's Collars

Are footballers actually that thick?
Hudson Odoi had the virus and then does this.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-8328935/Chelsea-star-Callum-Hudson-Odoi-arrested-4am-row-model.html

Mitch Connor

Cantona's Collars wrote: »

Are footballers actually that thick?
Hudson Odoi had the virus and then does this.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-8328935/Chelsea-star-Callum-Hudson-Odoi-arrested-4am-row-model.html

So he's immune, maybe, and doesn't have it to infect his model friend, probably.

Seems fine to me!