The sports world is largely silent because of the prevailing corona pandemic.

But there are exceptions.

Belarus is the only country in Europe to have its series run, which has caused the foreign interest in television rights by the high-profile Vyssjaja Liga to skyrocket.

But there are more examples. Even the still active top division of Central American Nicaragua is experiencing a rarely seen popularity. However, this is a small consolation for players in the country who enter every match with fear of being infected.

- Our players are very scared and we understand them. We want the league to be stopped but all clubs have voted and the majority want to continue, says Sergio Salazar, CEO of the club Diriangén, to The Guardian.

"Mentally you are not focused"

Carlos Mosquera, goalkeeper of league debutant Deportivo Las Sabana, says the players in the league avoid close contact.

"We try to avoid moving other players," he told Reuters news agency.

He confirms that the corona virus has affected the way players behave on the pitch.

- Football has changed. You do not enter a 50/50 duel with the same intensity. The fear of what is happening in the world is always present. Mentally you are not focused on the match but you always think that the opponent may be carrying the disease, says Mosquera.

According to Reuters, Primera División de Nicaragua is one of four high-stakes worldwide that is still played in front of audiences. The others are in Belarus, Burundi and Tajikistan.

Plays with masks

Jose Maria Bermudez, secretary general of the Nicaragua Football Federation, says he has noticed a greater interest in football in the country.

- More people are following the league closely, especially on betting sites, he says and continues:

- The situation here is almost completely normal. We have only had four cases of the corona virus here and three of them were imported. We got information from health authorities and we made a decision based on that. We are not the government, but we control football.

According to Reuters, several players have chosen to play matches wearing face masks and gloves since the league decided, without consulting the players, that the season would continue as usual.

The number of coronas infected in Nicaragua has now risen to five. A death has been reported from the country.