Matchday 10 in the Jupiler Pro League is over. At least, most of it. As many as three matches were postponed due to an excessive number of corona infections, which means that football is not spared the second flare-up of the virus. The matches that were allowed to continue took place behind closed doors. Financially a heavy blow, but rather than shutting down everything again. A world of difference compared to more than six months ago.
Please note, we do not argue in favor of stopping the competition just like in March. On the contrary, football on the TV provides a welcome distraction in these gloomy times of closed catering establishments and strict curfews. Furthermore, it remains to be seen to what extent can be safeguarded for the rest of the season if the ball stops rolling temporarily. After all, the calendar is already packed, so the number of catch-up matches is preferably kept to a minimum. Fortunately, so far none of the European playing teams – Club Brugge, Antwerp, AA Gent and Standard – have been involved in a cancellation, because there is hardly any space in their schedule.
EMPTY BUBBLES
In contrast to just over seven months ago, when the Pro League pulled the brakes on its own initiative, continuing until the government decided otherwise is the message. A 180 degree turn from the response to the first corona wave, underlining once again that the so-called solidarity and social responsibility that was eagerly cited at the time as the reason for giving up was one big bubble. After all, the health situation is not much better today, as witness the rather draconian measures recently imposed by the government. With implications for our Belgian clubs, which despite the protocols to guarantee safety, just like during the first four days of play, are no longer allowed to receive fans.
A pity, which nevertheless could count on the necessary understanding everywhere. Yet there was also a lot of disappointment, starting because of the experience that goes back down. We could immediately notice that this weekend, although four of the six home teams now managed to win their match. During the OH Leuven stunt against Club Brugge, the Antwerp derby or the Ghent reunion with Jess Thorup, the audience was sorely missed, which was of course also the case on the other fields. There is also the financial aspect. Although the receipts from the partly filled stands were in any case quite small, a complete closure of the stadium remains an extra blow to the box office. The hope is therefore cherished that the doors will be reopened soon.
MOTIVES IN MARCH
Among others, Mehdi Bayat, along with his support for the measure, expressed the wish to welcome the supporters again within a month. “We still get the chance to play games behind closed doors, and the matches are broadcast on television. It is a way to keep the people who have to stay at home busy,” said the union chairman, a position he expressed in March. Then Bayat was still diligently in the front row to finally put an end to the season, a proposal that was quickly followed up. Despite a series of positive tests, however, it now sounds from all sides, even among the affected teams, that throwing in the towel again is not an option. However, things are about the same in society.
What exactly has changed? Much more than social motives, many self-interests seeped through in March. Clubs that benefited from the stop leader and later champion Club Brugge, but especially AA Gent and the Charleroi of Bayat – set up a successful lobby, in which they effortlessly got the smaller clubs on board. They feared in the first place for the economic impact of the corona virus. By removing any prospect of a resumption after the necessary interruption, they could proceed to the technical unemployment of their squad. In this way a lot of money was saved, where playing without spectators would only result in more costs. Now that is of course also the case, with the difference that the television money has not yet been collected.
RULES FOR DISASTER SCENARIO
Although they still caused a lot of discussion at the time, that income was already more or less insured last season. This time, however, the saved wage costs would not outweigh the TV money that will be compromised at a new stop. After all, should the competition be stopped now, the rest of the campaign will immediately be under pressure. “If we have to move full match days, we will run into problems,” said Pro League president Peter Croonen himself. In that scenario, it cannot be ruled out that the play-offs will be canceled, which would negatively affect the TV contract. Not to mention the financial consequences of a possible shortening of the regular vintage, which would of course also have a serious impact on a sporting level.
Fortunately, the regulations have already been amended in view of that disaster scenario. The rules are now more strictly delineated, with at least 17 matches where everyone has met – or half of the regular season – as a lower limit to consider the score as valid. If this condition is not met, the European tickets will be distributed based on the last five campaigns. In itself a watertight system, although unfortunately in Belgium we can almost boast that a legal case would be instituted somewhere. Especially in the Pro League, where the noses are rarely in the same direction and terms such as solidarity and unanimity turn out to be hollow concepts. That much became clear in the aftermath of the shutdown six months ago, in hindsight a hasty decision.
LACK OF TESTING?
Tempers then ran high, with in addition to the many mud throwing, especially the predictable lawsuits regarding relegation and promotion that turned the whole event into a lengthy soap. Croonen and Pierre François did not make a very good figure at the top of the Pro League board through all of this, but are still in their seats today, just like union chairman Bayat. This experience may therefore influence the wait-and-see attitude they now adopt, whereby the choice to turn the light to red is entrusted entirely to the government. Although the regulations should theoretically cover them better this time against a similar fuss. Economic reality therefore seems to be the decisive argument. Not a shame in itself, because after all, clubs also remain companies.
Only, in the light of that stalemate, we look back with even more skepticism than before at the rather grandiose language proclaimed in March, and in the months that followed, about the social motive that allegedly underpinned that brave self-sacrifice. While the situation is equally dire, today the cart has turned. Yet again, suspicious looks are raining from other sectors, who believe that football enjoys unlawful preferential treatment – which may have played a role in the decision to ban the public again. Recently, however, another issue has also raised the issue of the usefulness of continuing to play football, in particular the tests that the players have to pass continuously. Now that the labs can no longer follow for the general population, many find that inappropriate.
HOPE & HYPOCRISION
This commotion is understandable in a way, but seems unfounded. Although the absolute figures look impressive, and the clubs spend a lot of money on it, the regular tests only use up a fraction of the total capacity. Nevertheless, it was Bayat himself who remarked in April how ethically irresponsible it would be to give priority to footballers, while others need the tests more. Admittedly, they were a lot scarcer at the time, although the competitions in most other countries did start in that way not much later. Above all, however, it is striking how the charge from the outside world about the shortage of tests is not being heard this time, and the Pro League now seems to care little about the perception it has against it.
Perhaps the same perception also contributed to the verdict to ban fans from the stands. A big downer, which is nevertheless widely supported. As long as the action continues after all. However, it increasingly appears that the protocols do not succeed in keeping the corona virus out of the changing rooms, with infections in almost all teams. In the meantime, four games have already been postponed, this weekend only one third of the match day could take place. It seems like a matter of time before the situation becomes untenable, but for the time being the Jupiler Pro League is just rumbling on. Without spectators, admittedly. Of course we should be happy about that, and we consider it far from impossible or unethical to continue that line. Who knows, preferably even, soon with people in the stands again. Time will tell, but one thing has been amply proven: the hypocrisy at the knots that were taken in March. Although we have known that for much longer than today.
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