"Scouts and agents will be hardest hit": Hallgrimsson on the benefits of the pandemic for football and the new reality in sports

"The pianist performs in front of an empty hall, because he loves music"

- Fans are an extremely important element of any sporting event. How does their absence affect the team's morale?

- It all depends on the football culture of each country. Look at the matches between German and English teams: the role of the fans there is simply huge. But in other places, things may be different. For example, in Qatar, because of the heat, not very many spectators come to the games, so the pandemic did not affect local football so much. I think the importance of the fans differs from country to country. In addition, much depends on the athletes themselves. After all, some of them need a certain atmosphere to motivate.

- In your opinion, does a sport like football make sense if no one is watching?

- Almost all games are shown live on TV, and many people watch them that way. Although, of course, the sensations in this case are far from those at the stadium. But if you look at the situation from the positive side - and as a coach, I try to find something good in any crisis - then we are, in fact, looking for players who do not need a special atmosphere for motivation. I always try to prepare them so that they do not need an external stimulant.

In addition, money and the media play an important role in football. We know that the fans are watching our matches. And of course, we play for them, but I hope that most of the players do it out of love for the game itself. I ask everyone: "Is it worth it?" Personally, my answer is yes, because I love football itself.

- Cancellations of major sporting events, unsold tickets - all of this should have hit the industry hard. How will this lack of money due to the coronavirus affect sports in general?

- It depends on how you look at it. Everything has both positive and negative sides. Much has already been said about the financial side of the current crisis. I think all athletes and teams should reconsider their strategies. For some, this situation looks sad, but in the long run it can be beneficial. Football for sure. As I said, this sport is now driven by money. Maybe we can reverse this trend and go back a little back to how it was before, to the basics.

- How is this possible?

- For example, at this stage, clubs will more and more often look for players in their own country, nurture their players, and not attract foreign players. Instead of a constant search, they will again engage in coaching. Therefore, I believe that the current situation will force people to reconsider their strategy and hopefully they will turn their attention to internal resources. We will see more local youth.

There will be more players who really love the club they play for, the team that raised them. They will strive to get into it. Hopefully, in the end we will see more motivated and passionate footballers, rather than mercenaries who are being bought out all over the world.

So from finding players, the focus will shift directly to mentors. That is why, I think, due to the current situation in football, scouts and agents will be the most affected.

- Should we expect an increase in ticket prices for sporting events?

- It is hard to say. It all depends on how the current situation will develop. I think as long as the current situation remains, there will be fewer people interested. If we manage to defeat the pandemic, then the number of fans in the stands will increase, because people miss the competition, the atmosphere that prevails on match day. Remember at least the World Cup, which took place in Russia, and the magical moments that we all experienced there. If the coronavirus was raging at that time, there would hardly be many willing to travel such a long way to attend the tournament. Therefore, everything depends on what success we achieve in this struggle. 

- In football, players collide, tackle, grab each other and literally jump on their heads. Does this mean that every match is fraught with danger for all participants?

- In a way, yes. But even meeting a person on the street is already a risk, it does not have to happen on the football field. You can get infected on a bus or on an airplane. But in sports, this is approached extremely seriously and carefully. We take a COVID-19 test every four days. The state of health of each of us is monitored very closely. So at least we feel that we are very well cared for, that we are protected. And nevertheless, the virus can be picked up anywhere - in such times we live.

- But the risk increases noticeably when it comes to a large crowd of people in close contact with each other. Why should sports teams even put themselves at such a risk and play during a pandemic?

- The same can be said about many other things. Probably, a person is able to exist without a number of things. But I want to live life to the fullest, enjoy the moment, enjoy what makes you happy and motivates you. If something like this can be organized in a controlled and safe environment, why not keep playing? The pianist performs in front of an empty hall because he loves music and wants to play it. It's the same with football or any other sport. Nobody wants to give up what they like.

"Football will have time to adapt to new circumstances"

- Some athletes refer to the year of downtime associated with the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games with physical injury, due to which you lose your shape for a long time. Is this "rest period" really capable of traumatizing athletes in its own way, or could they use it effectively?

- It seems to me that any period, any moment of life can be used for your own good. I have my own experience in this regard, but the approaches to the situation for different people and different teams are fundamentally different. For example, for three months we conducted individual training, that is, I went on the field with only one or two players. That is, at this time we tried to improve their skills. Of course, the coaches are getting more work, but, I repeat, this gave us a huge advantage. This constructive approach helped the players both physically and psychologically. If you get closer to them, you see them every day, you can devote much more of your time to each of them, then you will not get out of your usual rut.

I think that an athlete who is preparing to take part in the Olympics can do both. That is, to take a break, which he may need, or to train even more intensely all this time and become even better. In other words, it all depends on how you feel about it. Now we have what we have, and we must strive to use the current situation as efficiently as possible.

Yes, you can indulge in negative thoughts, stop the work process, abandon your favorite business ... Or you can find a new approach and show what is really important, look for the positive even in adverse conditions.

- Many representatives of various spheres assume that life will not return to normal in the near future. What could be such a “new norm” in sports? 

- It all depends on how we can overcome this pandemic. If a vaccine is found, then, most likely, we will be able to return to the usual rate. I hope this will eventually happen, but until then there will be a lot of changes and a kind of "new normal". I would like them to be dictated directly by the game in my sport, and not by the football industry, money or the market.

- In 2022, the World Cup will be held in Doha. What measures are the organizers taking in order to protect the tournament itself, as well as the players, fans and other participants from the pandemic?

- If the pandemic is not over by 2022, then for Qatar it will be an excellent demonstration test of strength. My first impression of this country is that everything is done here at a very professional level. For example, the games of the first and second divisions are now taking place. At the same time, the number of cases of infection and positive results is small, although, as in the whole world, there are cases. I think the organizers are trying to adapt and prepare as much as possible. As for the infrastructure, they are showing excellent results. As far as I know, local experts have traveled to Russia many times, including during the last World Championship. Yes, Qatar's national championship is not that big, but I think its matches continue to be held partly in order to prepare for the World Cup. If we do not defeat the coronavirus, then people will at least understand how to work in such conditions.

- Is it realistic to protect such a major event as the World Cup from the impact of the pandemic, the whole point of which is in close socialization?

- It depends on where you are. Ultimately, most people watch the World Cup from home anyway. The World Cup is the largest television sporting event on the planet. So it will take place regardless of whether the fans will be in the stands or not. In what format - we'll see. I understand what you mean: for fans this is an incredibly memorable event, a unique chance to go to a tournament in Russia or Brazil and plunge into this atmosphere. Memories of how you watched the matches from the stands will stay with you for life. It is not a fact that this will be possible in two years, but at least the infrastructure for receiving guests will be ready. Football will have time to adapt to new circumstances.

For example, now the Champions League was held "behind closed doors", in a tournament format and without fans. I see no reason to change anything. It's just that football will become more of a television sport. True, many clubs will suffer, as a large portion of their income comes from ticket sales.

- With the spread of the virus, a significant part of the activity moved to the Internet. Is this much worse for you than the usual order of things? Can the network offer an alternative in the world of sports, as it has done in many other areas?

- I think yes. At least you can hold conferences and the like, or work with footballers one-on-one. In the future, I think this will become more commonplace than it is now, and again, those who adapt the fastest to the new situation will eventually have an advantage. In any case, technology, of course, changes both the game and the coach's work. I think we can - and will - do more of it online.

- In the Spanish La Liga, matches are broadcast in which real players fight in virtual football. And in the world of racing, pilots are recruited to compete in simulators that can also be watched. Do you think a sports video game simulation might be enough to keep the fans interested while we wait for the real games and competitions to resume?

- I think not at the moment. Probably, the need arose to show at least something, because there was no sport left on the screens. And they found this way to return it to the audience. But in recent years, video games have been developing rapidly and, of course, will continue to improve, become more closely intertwined with real sports, and will become closer and more spectacular to it. Maybe in the end we won't even feel the difference. After all, they are already so realistic! In addition, simulators can be used as an aid in coaching. Therefore, people will hold and watch competitions even in virtual format.

See RTD for the full interview.