Football matches without fans in an empty stadium should only be a short-term fix to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and should not be viewed as a long-term solution as it could kill the game and ‘damage’ football, feels former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Football resumed in Europe after a two-month hiatus this weekend with Bundesliga going through an entire round of matches in empty stadiums and without any spectators. The opening week success of Germany’s top-flight football post-COVID-19 has also raised the calls for other major leagues, like Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, to resume their season using the German protocol. Borussia Dortmund Manager Lucien Favre on Playing Behind Closed Doors: 'Very Strange, We Miss Our Fans'.

But several other leagues such as French Ligue 1 and the Dutch Eredivisie has already cancelled their 2019-20 season with one declaring the champions and relegated teams and another calling the season null and void. While it is always difficult to play in an empty stadium without the fans, questions have been raised whether it is safe for the fans to already return to matches and if it will be best to continue matches without the spectators. Marco Reus Says ‘Bundesliga Players Are No Lab Rats’, Believes Playing Inside Empty Stadiums Is Necessary.

Wenger, however, is sceptical about the longevity of football without spectators. “Will it survive long-term? Will it damage the show long-term without supporters? I am convinced of that,” Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global football development told beIN Sport. “You cannot imagine a whole season without any spectators. That’s why I believe it a short-term solution. It is still the best possible way to get a verdict for the end of the season. It’s better than any other decision.”

But despite such remarks of football’s future without fans, Wenger warned that until it is medically safe to bring fans to stadiums, it is important to play without them. The 70-year-old cited examples of football matches in Italy, including the Champions League tie between Atlanta and Valencia, which provoked the acceleration of spread of the covid-19 virus.

"We don't have the medication for people to go to the stadiums in mid-July. You have some examples in Italy where [fans at] games provoked a disaster,” he added. "We can't be guided too much by financial reasons and take such a big gamble. We have to first make sure this is medically safe."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 18, 2020 05:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).