The secrets of games without an audience: "I said to myself, 'But what is this?', You don't feel like you're going to compete"

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The Tondela , a modest team in the highest category of Portuguese football, managed to draw a tie in the shining Estadio Da Luz , home of the all-powerful Benfica , leader of the championship. It was one of the first games without an audience that was played in the major European leagues and Natxo González , the Spanish coach who leads the humble team, explains in EL MUNDO how that experience was.

"Change everything from the beginning. During the week you train normally, but already on the trip to Lisbon you go in a bus with half capacity, with masks , you stay in a hotel with special measures, you go up alone in the elevator, you meet the distance in meals ... ", explains the Spanish, former coach, among others, of Reus, Deportivo, Alavés and Zaragoza.

Due to the fact that Portugal has a controlled epidemic, the soccer league returned last day 3 and ten matches have already been played, all "with more police than public", González summarizes. "The first difference is the environment of the stadium. You feel it. If you go to play against Benfica you see people in the surroundings, they welcome the team and the rival ... And from the bus you feel a tingling, a motivation, an adrenaline rush You don't have that feeling now . You see a lot of police and few people, "he explains.

Once inside the stadium, more masks and lots of disinfectant alcohol. " I said to myself, 'but what is this?'. You do not feel everything that surrounds football . It does not seem that you are going to play a game or play the three points. You do not feel that you are going to compete," admits the Spaniard.

González acknowledges that once the match has started, everyone, players and coaches, focuses on what is happening on the field of play, despite the fact that there is no public. Even so, he assures that the silence that exists forces them to be more careful with the indications, because despite the fact that "you are not paying attention to what the rival says, you do hear everything." " As a coach you are more afraid of screaming, you are more careful because you scream twice and everything is heard . Now the player has no excuse," he jokes.

His team, 14th in the standings, managed to draw a tie at home from the leader (0-0) , quite a feat: "As a visitor, you are not in front of your people and that perhaps releases the pressure a little. And as a local you do not feel that support. For example, Da Luz in a corner in favor squeezes, you feel that pressure. "

On the return of football, with or without an audience, González admits that they have had little time to work and that the teams do not arrive prepared. " We are not prepared, we have not played any preparation matches and we all have that unknown physical question. I would have had to change the entire team due to muscle discomfort. We do not have adequate preparation."

In accordance with the criteria of The Trust Project

• soccer
• Portuguese league

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