Chinanews.com client Beijing, April 16 (Xing Rui) The epidemic is on the verge, the five major European leagues have successively pressed the pause button, and European football has entered the cold winter. However, the "retrograde" Belarusian Super League is still in full swing. As the current "single seedling" of professional football in the Europa continent, a seemingly "not influential" league has quietly become the biggest "winner".
Screenshots of foreign media reports.
In dispute
On March 19, the new season of the Belarusian Premier League kicked off. At this time, the five major European football leagues and this year's football feast the European Cup have announced suspension or extension. Under such circumstances, the unveiling of the Belarusian Super League has become the focus of outside attention.
In fact, before the opening of the league, the Belarusian Football Association held a meeting to discuss whether the game should be suspended. After some discussion, they finally decided that the league will be held as scheduled. Recently, Sergei Zadtsky, the secretary general of the Belarusian Football Association, also said in an interview with ESPN: "There is currently no reason to suspend its domestic league."
Although the Belarussian Super League kicked off with the support of the Football Association, it does not mean that there is no other opposition. The Secretary General of the World Professional Players Association (FIFPro), Jonas Barr Hoffman, once said: "Such a move is incomprehensible," and called on the Belarusian Super League to be as cautious as other football leagues. In a vote initiated by the local media on whether the league will continue, nearly 50% of the fans want the game to be suspended.
Data map: On March 8, local time, Serie A Juventus played against Inter Milan.
Confrontation of interests
As of April 15, Beijing time, the 2020 Belarusian Super League has completed four rounds. With the mainstream leagues shut down, this league without any big-name superstars not only succeeded in attracting the attention of world football, but also earned a lot of income.
According to the "Daily Mail" report, as many as 11 countries have purchased Belarussian TV rights, including a Russian TV station paying $ 210,000 for the league's copyright.
It is true that the continued holding of the Belarusian Premier League has become a "solace" for many European fans in the epidemic. For many players, although such a league is not as good as the top five leagues, they can still play on the field and receive their due salary.
A young Kenyan player chose to join a team in the league in early April. In an interview with the BBC, he admitted: "When I started my career in Europe, many players were trapped at home. This opportunity For me, not only is the realization of the dream, but it also appears at such a difficult time, which marks my future is bright. "
Dummy in the stands.
How long can it last?
As the game continues, the Belarusian Super League is actually facing more and more difficulties. One of the most important points that cannot be ignored is that the number of spectators keeps decreasing.
According to a Reuters report, in a match on the 10th, there were only 253 spectators on site, compared with about 1,500 spectators on the spot last year for the same match. In order to increase the sales rate of tickets, some teams have also introduced virtual tickets. After spending money to buy tickets, their avatars can be posted on the dummy in the stands, virtually watching the game on the stadium. The picture also creates a warm competition atmosphere.
Not only that, but some games also changed their locations due to the spread of the epidemic. Previously, the third round of the game between Vijebsk and Smolevich was moved to Borisov. It is not difficult to see that the fate of the Belarusian Premier League seems to be becoming increasingly uncertain over time.
As of April 14, local time, the new crown epidemic data released by the Belarus Ministry of Health showed that the cumulative number of newly diagnosed new coronary pneumonia in the country has reached 3281 people, and a total of 33 deaths. There are also foreign media reports that Belarusian famous football agent Sergei Vykov said that because of the decrease in the audience, the Belarusian Super League is likely to be interrupted. (Finish)