FOOTBALL without fans in the stadium is simply not the same thing.
Following the action on the field is only part of the pleasure of going to a game; breathing in the atmosphere created by the supporters is also important to the experience. Football fans are not spectators. they are active participants.
The mood they create in the stands has a profound effect on what happens on the pitch – for better or for worse.
With the coronavirus pandemic now under relative control in Brazil, fans are gradually being allowed to return to the stadiums. It has come at a decisive moment.
The league comes to a conclusion in early December. The campaign is now in the final straight, and emotions are running high.
There is a built in level of insatisfaction in Brazilian football. The tradition of the game in such a giant country is strongly local – there was no genuinely national championship until 1971, and for years being champion of the local city was seen as more important than being champion of the country.
These regional competitions have lost their importance. There are now three major titles on the table – the league, the cup and the Copa Libertadores, the Champions League equivalent.
There is not enough silverware to go round to all of the clubs who, based on the regional exploits, claim to be giants. And so many fans feel cheated.
They were brought up to think of their club as something immense. Mid table mediocrity, or worse, is more than they can cope with. There are plenty of stories in Brazil of fans physically attacking their own team.
Winning, then, is a big deal. One of the biggest myths in football is the view that Brazilian football is all about self-expression, with no one caring about conceding goals. It is a serious business where results are the be all and end all.
Having fans back in the stadiums has raised the stress level. Rio de Janeiro giants Flamengo were fighting on three fronts; in the final of the Libertadores, the semis of the domestic cup and in contention to retain their league title.
But last week they were knocked out of the local cup at home, and the fans in the Maracana were quick to turn on the team and the coach.
On Saturday, then, when they received league leaders Atletico Mineiro they had to bounce back – and after taking the lead in the first half they made sure they did not concede – with a level of time wasting, especially from the goalkeeper, that astonished Atletico striker Hulk, back in Brazil after many years abroad.
At the other end of the table are Gremio, from the south of the country. Highly successful for the last few years, they have surprisingly run into serious problems.
A local idol, former Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, was brought back to stop the rot. That did not work, and he was recently sacked.
With the club second from bottom in the league (four go down) alarm bells are ringing, and having fans in the stadium may well be counter-productive. The players are under so much pressure that it is as if they are running through treacle.
On Sunday they took the lead at home to Palmeiras, a very strong side from Sao Paulo. But they ended up losing 3-1.
One of the Palmeiras goals came from an iffy penalty awarded after consultation with VAR. This was too much for the Gremio fans to take.
As the game came to an end a portion of the fans went on the rampage. They invaded the pitch and took out their uncontrolled fury on the VAR equipment. It could have gone further.
Some of them wanted to force their way down the tunnel and attack the players, and it took around an hour to bring the situation under control.
Might it be easier for Gremio to play without fans? This question will surely soon be put to the test.
As a punishment for the events of Sunday the club will certainly be punished, and will probably have to play their next home matches behind closed doors.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
