Paris (AFP)
With rare exceptions, in the regions of the former USSR, the European qualifying campaign for the 2022 World Cup begins this week in front of empty stands.
Small tour of the situation of the Old Continent during a pandemic period, three months before the Euro.
Kazakhstan symbolizes this period of uncertainty.
If there was any question for a time of pushing the gauge to 30% of the Nur-Sultan stadium to receive France, Sunday, the meeting could finally take place behind closed doors.
An interministerial commission meets Thursday to take stock of the epidemiological situation, but for the time being the capital is located in the red zone.
Meetings without an audience, this will be the case almost everywhere in Europe, even in the cities among the twelve planned to host the Euro this summer.
UEFA has set April 7 as the deadline for each host city to confirm, and under what conditions and proportions, whether or not it can receive the public.
Hungary continues to play behind closed doors and host matches from other selections, such as the three from Qatar, initially scheduled in Austria.
Regarding the Euro matches, the spokesperson for the Hungarian Federation, Jeno Sipos, told AFP that she "would tell UEFA how many spectators" it is "realistic" to welcome in Budapest " on time ", so before April 7, the deadline for the 12 host cities.
- 30% gauge for Bucharest at Euro -
Also in camera in Azerbaijan.
No repetition therefore for Baku: not necessarily a good sign before Euro-2020, postponed for a year.
Bucharest, on the other hand, expects 25% of spectators for its four Euro matches, and fans are unhappy that Romania will host North Macedonia and Germany behind closed doors for qualifying in the coming days.
The Copenhagen Parken is still scheduled to host four Euro-2020 matches.
In this sense, the Danish Federation (DBU) on Wednesday launched a campaign on "relaunching football", calling in particular for the return of supporters to the stands for the European Championship and for the first division matches.
In the meantime, the closed session is de rigueur for Denmark-Moldova, Sunday.
A little further north, entry conditions in Norway are very strict with, among other things, a mandatory quarantine, which has led to the cancellation of many sporting events.
Suddenly the match against Turkey scheduled for March 27 in Oslo will finally be played in Malaga, without an audience.
Erling Haaland's team will already be in the region as they meet Gibraltar in Marbella on March 24.
In England and Wales, the government's plan for the gradual relaxation of anti-Covid measures calls for spectators to return to stadiums, but in mid-May at best, and for a tonnage of 10,000 spectators or 1 / 4 of the stadium.
- Russian exceptions -
There will also be no audiences for the two La Roja matches in Spain at the end of March.
The country where the decision to host the public has been debated is Ukraine: matches should have been played in Lviv but have been moved to Kiev due to "the worsening epidemic situation in Lviv".
This enraged the mayor of Kiev Vitali Klitchko, who ended up issuing a municipal decree banning the public in the stadiums of the capital while at the national level, 30% of the seats can be sold.
Among the only exceptions, the Russia-Slovenia match (the 27th) will be played in front of a maximum of 12,000 people in Sochi, or 30% of the stadium.
The filling rate of the stands in Russia, where the time has come to return to normal, depends on the regional authorities: the first 1st division club to have seen the gauge return to 100% is Ufa for its match against Lokomotiv, the March 18.
There were only 5,200 spectators to see the victory of Lokomotiv (1-0).
In Armenia, Belarus and Georgia, 30% of tickets will go on sale.
Otherwise, to observe spectators in the stands, you have to head for Central Asia: up to 10,000 spectators will be able to attend the Tajikistan-Mongolia match on March 25, or 50% of the stadium's capacity.
Tajikistan claims to have gotten rid of the coronavirus and has not recorded a new case since January.
And in Uzbekistan, league matches are played out in crowded stadiums.
The only exception is confined football.
© 2021 AFP