Barcelona, the giant of the Spanish Premier League, Barcelona's top scorer, Lionel Messi, explained how difficult it is to play matches without fans due to the Corona virus pandemic, and described it as like training.
"It's horrible to play without fans. It's a very ugly feeling," Barcelona captain Messi told the Spanish newspaper Marca, after he won the top scorer award for the Spanish league last season.
"Not having anyone on the field is like training, and it is very difficult to enter and start the match," he added.
Messi and Barcelona were negatively affected by the matches being played without fans.
Barcelona was top of the league last season before 11 rounds to the end, when the competition was suspended due to the epidemic;
But he squandered his advantage after the league resumed, and Real Madrid crowned the title in front of empty stands.
Barcelona then suffered a humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in empty stands in Lisbon in August.
Barcelona made the worst start to a season in 33 years, and is currently ranked fifth in the league, far behind leaders Atletico Madrid, and failed to finish the Champions League group stage at the top for the first time since 2006.
Messi, 33, is experiencing his worst personal season since the 2007-2008 season, as he scored only 9 goals in all competitions, taking advantage of 5 penalties.
Messi added, "The reality is that this is very ugly, and that is why we are watching so many matches. It's very difficult to win regardless of the opponent."
"The pandemic has caused many changes in football, and it was for the worse. This can be followed up in matches, and I hope this will end quickly, and we can bring the fans back to the stadiums and return to normal."
Fans have been absent from the Spanish La Liga since March;
However, there is an intention to return them in April after a large number of the population receives vaccination against the virus.
According to local media, the first match that will see the fans return will be the Copa del Rey final, which was postponed from last season, between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao on April 4.