Belarusian Premier League is among the very few competitions that are still going on amid the coronavirus pandemic which has brought a global halt to the sporting world. Players from the first division in Belarus are forced to play inside stadiums with little to no fans. So to keep their spirits high, defending champions FC Dynamo Brest have put mannequins wearing football jerseys of various teams with faces of fans who have bought online tickets in the stands. PES 2020: AC Milan & Inter to Lock Horns in First-Ever ‘Virtual Derby’ on Saturday.

The Belarusian club has invited fans from across the world to buy virtual tickets online and in return, photos of their faces will be put on top of a dummy sitting inside the stadium during home games. Along with this, supporters will get a matchday programme sent to their homes and the money raised will be used as an aid in the fight against coronavirus.

Virtual Fans

These mannequins were placed during Wednesday’s Belarusian Cup semi-final match between Dynamo Brest and Shakhtyor Soligorsk, which the home side won 2-0. Around 30 dummies were placed in the stands, s they saw their team emerge as comfortable winners. ‘Our fans from all over the world seem to be happy! Thanks for your support, guys!’ the club captioned their post on Twitter.

‘It’s our creative idea. In this way, a virtual spectator who is following the match broadcast on television can see himself in the stands. We’re not trying to imitate a full stand. We understand the fans who have refused to come to the games. We decided to take a creative approach to the situation.’ Said Dynamo Brest general secretary Vladimir Machulsky.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 10, 2020 09:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).