Issue 5

Covid-19 Resilience and Impact on Community

Is football without fans really nothing?

Club Services

26 August 2020
Index
1 First Impact
• Introduction
..................................................... 02

2 Mitigation
•
........................................................ 05
Living without football
• Supporters
• Fan culture on pause
• Missing the game?
• Community
• Economic and social impact
• New connections?
• Football keeping itself relevant
• Communication
• Community and social responsibility
• Supporting the football pyramid base

3 Future outlook
• Key challenges
.................................................. 22

• Post-Covid football matches – how will they look like?

• Psychological aspects of return to play for supporters
• New economic reality: clubs that can play without spectators vs
clubs that cannot
• Football pyramid legitimacy
• Do communities need their football clubs?
• Solutions
• Collaboration and methods of engagement
• Recommendations to empower & enfranchise the community
• Digitalisation as a way forward
• Supporting the grassroots

Appendix
First Impact
Introduction
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has proved to be the kryptonite for many service and
entertainment industries, and football so far has been one of the most affected. In the period
comprising between March and May in some places, June in others, and potentially August in
others still, the football industry in Europe and globally experienced a perfect storm that effectively
switched off the game.
Many clubs across Europe and the world have been prevented from being able to perform their
normal activities. Given that football is based fundamentally upon the production of the match day
event, into which all production efforts flow and from which all other activities derive, not having
football being played kills the raison d’être of the game itself.
Apart from the game itself, community is the one thing that unites all kinds of football, both
professional and amateur. It provides a lot of the creative energy and passion that the industry
requires to function, but it is also much wider than just a club’s core of supporters. In the end, all
clubs are placed within their own environment, and the community around them is what feeds them,
sets expectations and rewards those that do good things.
As the football industry has been developing commercially over the last decades, in Europe it has
placed the traditional definition of a club’s community as being linked predominantly with its
territorial emplacement under some serious scrutiny. Some have argued that commercial
development had gone hand in hand with an increasing disconnection from local communities, at
least in the case of larger, “global” clubs.

Community focus as a marketing approach

Even though football clubs have traditionally engaged in community activities way before the
term “CSR” was invented, commercialisation and globalisation may have changed the way
some clubs thought about their core and target audiences, with some taking their diehards for
granted, or attempting to discourage certain kinds of supporters from following the club. At the
same time, not all popular clubs have made it part of their mission to engage community or
even be part of it: plenty of football organisations over the years have focused on their on-field
success, without seeking to be anything more than a football club.

In recent years, it has become very fashionable for clubs to position themselves as more than
simply football machines or entertainment providers, even if their community focus was more a
marketing choice than anything else. This has made it slightly more difficult to distinguish on the
surface between the real community-focused clubs that really believe in their social
responsibility mission, and those that use it as a part of their commercial and PR armoury, but in
the end, football fans are generally very good at picking up what is authentic and what is not.

2
The current sanitary and social crisis, with its lockdown measures and disruption to normal life, has
drawn very clearly the distinction between the two types of clubs. Those that were truly practicing their
social responsibility did not have to scramble about trying to find out what they could do in the
absence of football. To the best of their ability, they simply organised themselves to help their
communities and those closest by setting up volunteering services, by distributing food parcels, by
organising phone help-lines to assist vulnerable members of society, by offering their facilities to the
emergency services and many other acts of civic assistance.
Others, those who previously chose to concentrate on their football above all, suddenly found that
without the lulling flow of a standard football season, there was nothing really they could talk to their
supporters about, apart from showing old videos of football games, and making lists of the best and
the worst players to play for the club. There were no trainings, no match reports, no coach interviews,
no signing rumours and this vacuum proved to be difficult to fill. Clubs that previously had no social
dimension to their strategy understood very quickly that they had to find their community.
Once this crisis is over and a semblance of normal life is back, many clubs will hope to return to
concentrating on football or engaging in borderline CSR/marketing/PR activities as they did before.
However, this may not be possible in the medium term, as clubs may continue to also seek to receive
government support for their activities. This kind of state support will most likely be linked and
conditioned by community engagement and social responsibility measures.
In the long run, hopefully this situation will act as a catalyst for a deep reflection on the nature of
football clubs, their role within society, and the importance of football fans to the game. Through the
lockdown and with empty stadiums in the restart phase, Covid-19 has shown in very sharp 4K quality
that football without fans is nothing. Or is it?

3
Mitigation
Living without football

A lot has been discussed publicly about how football clubs, players, leagues have been dealing with
the challenges of lockdowns and the return to play process. In some countries, decisions to curtail
football competitions by the leagues have caused internal conflict that has spilled onto the front pages
of newspapers. Club activities vis-à-vis their community during lockdown times have also received
plenty of coverage. However, the experience of supporters living without football, and of the
communities affected by the effective temporary closure of the game, has not been as widely
documented or discussed.
In this section, we attempt to highlight some of the key experiences in this area. The focus lies
particularly on two aspects: the life of supporters without the game, and the impact of the pandemic
on football club community work, with football actively trying to remain relevant during some of the
toughest times to be experienced by societies across the continent in living memory.

Supporters
Fan culture on pause

Professional football has been inextricably linked with supporters ever since its inception, the very
origins of the industry lie in football as a spectator sport. The sport is interesting and appealing
enough for people to buy match tickets, which created the original revenue source to give rise to the
modern multi-billion industry we know today.
Football fans have been rightly recognised as co-creators of the match day, together with the players
on the field. Traditional fan cultures of British, Italian, German, Balkan and others are considered an
integral part of the match day package and enhance the attraction of attending a live game for many
people, sometimes even providing more entertainment than the action on the pitch itself.
Of course, there is no single type of football fandom, and not all of it is completely benign. Over the
past decades, football has seen issues such as hooliganism, crowd violence, safety and security
problems, mixed in with accusations of extreme commercialisation and the emergence of the “prawn
sandwich” component of football business, where hospitality and VIP services were developed for
commercial purposes, squeezing out ordinary spectators from working class backgrounds.
Taking all of the above into account, the modern football fan is supposed to be a highly sophisticated
individual and consumer, knowledgeable in football history and football statistics of his or her
favourite teams and players, engaged in active supporting during games through choreographies or
tifos, with a particular fashion sense that follows the times. But also with the ability to connect with
like-minded fans through various technological solutions and social media, and doing it on a constant
basis rather than purely focusing on match days.

4
The outbreak of Covid-19 in Europe during February-March 2020 put an abrupt halt to all types of fan
and supporter culture. As government and health authorities struggled to contain the virus and imposed
increasingly severe restrictions on group activities, professional football very quickly found itself in a
position where it was impossible to operate. The initial reaction of authorities in Italy, which suffered the
first major outbreak in Europe, was to mandate football matches to be played behind closed doors.
This already precluded supporters from attending games, but this was quickly superseded by further
individual isolation and quarantine measures imposed on the general population. Just as the players,
the coaches and the administrators, football fans were told to stay at home to save lives. Especially
since the last few fixtures carried out in stadiums at full capacity have been claimed to have contributed
to an increase of infections. For instance, a study analysing data from the English National Health
Service (NHS) claimed that the UEFA Champions League game between Liverpool and Atlético de
Madrid in March in front of over 50’000 spectators led to 41 additional Covid-19 related deaths.
Without games, and with football clubs in a state of shock, for a period of time there was a vacuum of
information and communication, as for once real life, public health and Covid-19 took over the
conversation. All the talk of a global connected communication network based around football content
that was functioning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week was deflated like a party balloon, because there
were no games played at all and it became clear that without a regular sequence of games it was
difficult to talk about football.
Once the situation stabilised, and life started slowly returning to a semblance of normality, talk about a
return to play in football also became more active. Football clubs, recovered from the initial shock and
better adapted to the new reality, were still primarily focused on how to resume their internal activities
and begin training and playing. Many clubs were also drawing on their supporters to organise social
responsibility actions centred on volunteering and support of the more vulnerable parts of society. Yet,
this was still not a time for a resumption of traditional fan culture in connection to the games, even
though leagues such as the Bundesliga returned with cardboard photos of fans and recorded fan noise
effects to try to fill the void in otherwise empty grounds. The escapism football and other sports usually
is able to offer with its thrill of excitement and atmosphere was replaced by an empty echo from the
empty stands which rather served as a reminder of the ongoing pandemic crisis.
Missing the game?
People working in the football industry typically have an opinion that everyone loves football or is at
least interested in it. This is probably due to the fact that they are living within their own bubble, which
creates a false impression based on confirmation bias that this love for football is universal, even
though in reality it most probably is not the case. However, is it possible to fall out of love with the
game, if you are already a fan?
During the onset of the lockdown in Europe, we discussed in one of our early Covid-19 Issues the
potential impact of the pandemic on changes to supporter attitudes to the game once the restrictions
are lifted. It has been suggested that football could potentially benefit from a bounce back effect, similar
to that following the two world wars in the 20th century, with crowds rising substantially once
lockdowns are ended and spectators are once again allowed at football matches. Even so, we also
raised the possibility of people losing interest in the game, as the period without football leads to
changing habits or priorities.
It is important to highlight that there are different types of football fans, with a varying degree of
fanaticism and allegiance towards their favourite teams. Some fans went to the length of hiring
construction cranes, cherry pickers or renting balconies with a view of stadiums to be able to watch
matches of their favourite team playing behind closed doors.

5
 Others have tried to sneak into matches
through other means, or simply consumed
the football content that was made available
during the lockdown, such as re-runs of old
games or football documentaries.
On the other end of the spectrum, turning
the focus to the casual football supporters,
or those, who decide to take an interest in
the game because it is the fashionable thing
to do, the impact of the Covid-19 stoppage
must have played a role. If football is
suddenly disconnected from their daily social
media and news feed, and replaced with
something else, it would be logical to
assume that their level of interest in the
game would drop and potentially not Source: Telewizja Polska
recover.

Especially since matches resumed in a less than optimal format, with empty stands, lower level of
quality and competitiveness and less glowing media portrayal.
In the public eye, there have been few proper measurements of changing fan behaviour. But
anecdotally, we can see the transition between newspapers talking about football fans having a
“meltdown on social media with no 3 pm games to watch amid coronavirus crisis”, to a YouGov
survey of English football supporters in June 2020, a full three months after the pausing of the
competition, where almost half of those surveyed (and 39% of people who are interested in football!)
considered that return to play by the leagues in mid-June is premature.
A worrying set of result has also been seen in Scotland, which is traditionally the country with by far
the highest per capita attendance of football matches anywhere in Europe, and probably globally,
given the relative strength of the industry in this continent. In a large survey carried out by the Scottish
Football Supporters Association, more than 30% of respondents stated that even once stadia are
allowed to go back to full capacity, they will be likely to attend fewer than half of matches compared to
pre-Covid, with close to 5% of the sample going as far as saying they will not be attending at all.
Looking at practical data, the restart of the Premier League in England has yielded relatively high
viewing figures for Sky Sports, but actually nothing earth shattering. The big match on the first night
back, between Manchester City and Arsenal, did not reach the season’s record viewer numbers, and
the BBC’s first live Premier League match for more than 30 years drew a peak audience of just under
4 million, or 24.5% of the total share. This sounds impressive but would be just enough to break into
the top-30 of the week’s programming on British TV. As a side note, 75% of viewers chose the
artificial crowd noise feature that was made available during the Manchester City vs Arsenal game
broadcasted by Sky Sports.
In Germany, which has been the quickest of the major countries to see a return of professional
football, the Bundesliga resumed to record TV viewing figures and the league must have hoped for a
continuing positive trend. However, in the weeks following the restart, and the ending of the free-to-air
grace period, matches saw a return to normal TV ratings, or even a reduction compared to previous
years. This trend was further confirmed with the signing of a new broadcasting deal, which was a
reduction on the previous one, which may indicate that the potential upturn in public interest did not
happen, at least not in Germany.

6
Community
Economic and social impact
Sport in general, and football in particular, have a profound socio-economic impact, which has been
growing in size in recent years, mirroring the economic development of football as an industry and its
commercial undertaking. Apart from its direct financial results, the football industry typically supports a
long chain of suppliers and is therefore responsible for many full-time and part-time employments.
Many of these are directly concentrated within the local environment in which the club is emplaced,
meaning that a football club’s wellbeing also runs parallel to the wellbeing of that district, town and
region at large.

England Spain Germany France

Year of report 2019 2019 2015 2017

Season for which

2016/17 2016/17 2013/14 2015/16
measured

Professional Professional Professional

Perimeter Premier League
football football football

Premier League + Premiere Ligue +

Study La Liga + PWC DFL+ McKinsey
EY UCPF + EY

Economic impact £7.6bn €15.69bn €7.9bn €7.5bn

165,000 full-time
equivalent,
Jobs generated 99,100 184,626 including large 34,815
proportion of part-
time jobs

UEFA study of socio-economic impact of national associations

National
FIGC SvFF SFA PZPN FRF MFA LFF
Association

Socio-Economic
€3.01bn €1.9bn €597m €462m €272m €69m €54m
Impact

7
 Publication Economic Jobs
Club Country Study
Year Impact Supported

£165m gross
Fraser of 2018, covering
Celtic FC Scotland impact on 2,820
Allander season 2016/17
Scotland’s GDP

Kaiserslautern Mainz 2015, covering €42.3m for city

Germany season 2010/11 n/a
FC University and region

€1.773bn in
31,475 of
2020, covering Spain, of which
FC Barcelona Spain PWC which 19,500
season 2017/18 €1.191bn in
in Barcelona
Barcelona

£236m gross
Newcastle 2019, covering
England EY impact on 2,027
United FC season 2017/18
regional GDP

631m zl gross
2,399 of which
Legia 2018, covering impact on GDP,
Poland EY 1,500 in
Warszawa season 2016/17 of which 411m in
Warsaw
Warsaw

€750.4m in Spain,
2020, covering 5,493 of which
Athletic Club Spain PWC of which €465.9m
season 2018/19 2,821 in Biscay
in Biscay region

Football clubs of different sizes and from very different leagues across many countries in Europe
have built up significant links with the local health authorities, charities, volunteer networks and relief
agencies. They have also developed significant know-how in various areas such as disaster relief,
mass communications, resource distribution and social logistics. All of this can be used to bring the
social significance of football clubs to the next level over the next years, as society deals with the
aftermath of Covid-19 and subsequent challenges.

New connections?
In many European countries, with the obvious exception of those that have undergone structural
economic and socio-political transformation in the past several decades (such as the former Warsaw
Pact states), the football industry has been developing its economic basis and connectivity for well
over a century. There have been several important shifts, but the nature of the relationship between
football and its main economic stakeholders has been more or less consistent over time.
One of the key actors that has emerged during the Covid-19 crisis, and one that has impacted
football in a veritably unprecedented manner in many territories, has been the state. Of course,
government authorities have a long track record of taking an interest in football activities, and some
countries have seen far more influence from governments in their business than in others, but Covid-
19 has certainly opened up a platform for much more widespread and widely accepted government
intervention (or assistance) in professional football than ever before on a continental level.

8
Whilst intervention from governments was the thing that actually closed down football in a great part of
the continent in the period between March and May 2020, it remains to be seen what is going to be the
role of the state in the recovery phase. As many other businesses, football clubs have used
government assistance schemes in many countries across Europe, and it is fairly likely that, as part of
the sport, health and entertainment industries, football might see some further assistance
programmes. However, with the onset of a potentially disruptive economic crisis, most states will
probably have to choose their priorities very carefully, and football will not necessarily be the winner in
most countries.
In order to be more successful in claiming relief, the football industry needs to ensure it robustly
exploits the second new connection that has emerged in the last few months. Well, not necessarily
new, but one that for many clubs has been the main source of authenticity over the recent period
which is the social relief role, where football clubs have been able to act in real life the role of
community hub or nexus. Many of them might previously have claimed this for themselves, but not
necessarily acted upon it.

Updated football economy diagram:

Tax
Community State
Social, health and
sport services

State support

Tickets & Players

Subscriptions Supporters
merchandising

Tickets
wages
Broadcasters

Media rights Distribution

Competition
fees

Organisers
Transfers

Club
Sponsorship fees

Advertising Sponsorship
Brands
Agents

9
 Football keeping itself relevant
Typically, football club communications follow a regular and well-rehearsed pattern, where individual
matches and certain specific points during the season play a focal role, and the entire conversation is
shaped around preparation for games and post-match reaction.
During the period between March and May/June, the entire European football industry underwent an
unwelcome experiment on how to communicate in the absence of this pattern, which under usual
conditions is as regular as incoming and outgoing tides during the day.
In this part, we are going to look at some strategies used by football clubs across Europe to bridge
the communications gap, and discuss lessons for the future.

Communication
In the last several months, especially during the hardest weeks under social lockdown, quarantine and
severe state-level restrictions on virtually all aspects of people’s lives, football clubs had a very tough
time to hold a conversation with their supporters.
The reason for this was that the normal content generation system was completely disrupted. There
were no games, no training sessions, no pre and post-match coach interviews, no discussions about
match performances and goals scored or ties won and lost, no controversial referee decisions and no
vitriol between fans. Paradoxically, all of this came in a moment where most people found themselves
sitting at home, face-to-face with their TV screen, mobile phone and computer, wanting to consume
content, news and media at a higher level than during more normal times.

Smartphone usage increase

% who say they are spending more time on their smartphones since the start of the coronavirus outbreak

86 86 77 72 72 64 64 47 41 40 38 38 33
USA
Singap

Japan

Germa
China

Brazil

UK

Austral
Italy
Philippi

Spain

France
South
Africa
nes

ore

ny
ia

83% 71% 63% 61% 59%

HUAWEI iPhone Sony SAMSUNG LG
owners owners owners owners owners
Source: GlobalWebIndex March 16-20 2020

Whilst it has been clear that most clubs suffered a significant reduction in traffic to their websites and
social media channels over the last few months, there were also some examples of pro-active
communication and successful communication strategies in times of crisis. Some solutions included:
1. Dedicated Covid-related news section on club website
2. Relays of important information such as public safety announcements
3. Popular items such as stay-at-home fitness workouts
4. Good practice tips and encouragement to deal with aspects such as increased hygiene
5. Positive social responsibility and help news to keep spirits up and feel part of community
6. Institutional information to ensure that fans understood the club was functioning within the
constraints and was doing all it could

10
MEDIA CONSUMPTION

Over half of the GEN Z age group are MILLENNIALS have started consuming or
consuming significantly more online video are consuming more content across several
content than before the Covid-19 outbreak media types including online video, online
TV and broadcast TV

GEN X have increased their TV watching BABY BOOMERS appear to have changed
more than any generation, but are also their media consumption the least as a result
watching TV online of the outbreak, with an increase in watching
broadband TV most apparent
Source: GlobalWebIndex Coronavirus Research Report April 2020, adapted from Visual Capitalist

11
Some other interesting communication approaches included choosing to refrain from marketing
activities during the peak crisis period, in order to concentrate on key aspects of communication and
engagement, rather than creating any potential for resentment or negative feelings towards the club.
Other clubs engaged in active communication with their supporters, particularly focusing on older and
more vulnerable generations. But also reaching out to the younger fans, for whom disruption would
have been particularly challenging, in order to keep a vital line of contact, even if the only real service
was to spend a few minutes talking on the phone.
As football has been returning in most countries across Europe, the normal approach to club
communications will resume, utilising the rigid framework shaped by the fixture list. Things will
probably come back to the way they were, and most will largely forget those few weeks in the Spring
2020, when life stood still. Hopefully though, clubs will learn from this time, particularly in regards to the
need to act quickly and roll out crisis communication channels. But also in regards to the need to serve
the community first and foremost, and to the fact that it is possible to have a conversation with
supporters, even if there are no matches being played. It just takes a bit more effort to do it.

reduction
%
Team Website Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May from
decrease
January

Real Madrid realmadrid.com 4450000 5650000 4800000 4050000 2050000 2250000 3400000 60.18%

Man United manutd.com 4550000 5700000 4500000 3900000 2450000 2400000 3300000 57.89%

Bayern
fcbayern.com 3400000 2400000 2550000 2350000 2350000 2250000 150000 6.25%
München

FC
fcbarcelona.com 2800000 2900000 2450000 1550000 980000 1000000 1900000 65.52%
Barcelona

SL Benfica slbenfica.pt 1400000 1750000 1250000 930000 490000 650000 1100000 62.86%

Schalke 04 schalke04.de 970000 850000 830000 640000 640000 570000 280000 32.94%

Zenit FC fc-zenit.ru 840000 620000 780000 730000 230000 250000 370000 59.68%

Celtic FC celticfc.net 690000 660000 870000 520000 480000 480000 180000 27.27%

AS Roma asroma.com 360000 440000 250000 160000 120000 85000 355000 80.68%

Legia
legia.com 210000 260000 290000 210000 140000 120000 140000 53.85%
Warszawa

Rapid Wien skrapid.at 160000 160000 140000 120000 120000 90000 70000 43.75%

FC Basel fcb.ch 95000 85000 90000 75000 40000 30000 55000 64.71%

Malmö FF mff.se 85000 110000 110000 95000 65000 40000 70000 63.64%

GNK
Dinamo gnkdinamo.hr 85000 50000 65000 55000 50000 30000 20000 40.00%
Zagreb
BATE
fcbate.by 80000 80000 75000 100000 85000 65000 15000 18.75%
Borisov

12
Community and social responsibility
Without football being played, there is no football business, and during the lockdown the only real focus
for football clubs, beyond the steps necessary to stabilise and mitigate their operational situation, was
its community responsibility and social actions taken to support those around.
Interestingly, in the age of globalisation and increased move towards the digital environment, during a
time of crisis the physical, geographical milieu proved to be the most important focus for football club
activities. Global clubs could still connect with their millions of fans worldwide through video, news and
social media communication, and carry out some positive actions to keep up people’s morale through
those virtual means. They could maybe even organise some CSR activities through existing business
or supporter networks, but it was the local environment and local society that presented the optimal
ground for action.
It is an oft-used statement that football clubs in many places bind the local community together and
serve as a veritable social engine by offering a sense of belonging, and by serving as a springboard for
a lot of primary and secondary community building efforts. During the times of Covid-19, this statement
came off the marketing brochures used by clubs, and faced a real-world crisis.
Whilst typically all football clubs have similar organisational structures and operate with the same set of
actors and stakeholders, the individuality and specific nature of the location where each club is
emplaced creates a unique mix of circumstances. With the Covid-19 crisis, this meant that whilst the
challenges were pretty much universal across Europe, each club had to work out their own key areas
of application, solutions and roles to play in the pandemic. The aim was to support their community but
how that would be achieved was different in every case, and there are too many stories across Europe
to name them all here.
Having said that, football clubs primarily turned to two main assets during the crisis response phase:
their CRM system, and the infrastructure that most clubs operate from. Stadiums, given their relative
size and layout, were used in various ways, including as makeshift hospitals, food distribution hubs or
Covid-19 testing facilities, whilst CRM systems and clubs’ inherent connectivity with their local
community enabled targeted communication and assistance delivery if needed.
Fundamentally, though, when facing the Covid-19 crisis clubs were divided into two major groups:
those that previously used CSR as a marketing tool, and those that used it as a solution to help society
because they truly felt an obligation to give back something to the community. During the crisis, those
from the second group knew exactly what to do. Those in the first group had an existential choice:
either to re-calibrate their understanding and move towards true social responsibility or remain as they
were. Those that were able to capture the needs of their community were able to find a new reason to
exist. Those that failed in this process or approached their actions still with a marketing or PR hat on,
probably found that they were overtaken by events.
The aftermath of the crisis will demonstrate whether the energy and resources spent on helping society
by football clubs will ultimately cost them too much or provide a new lease of life as they emerge tired
but happy from their titanic efforts. In a period when many openly questioned the direction of travel of
the modern professional football industry, Covid-19 might well become a redeeming grace, if clubs
emerge with a new and better understanding of how much real good they can actually do in society,
and use this knowledge to better shape and direct their future strategic efforts on and off the field.

13
According to #FansVsCovid19 map from Football Supporters Europe and SD Europe, fans and
supporter groups have contributed in the following areas, with support for vulnerable groups being
the most popular type of community support activity amongst fan groups mentioned:

Number of projects or actions divided by area:

Support for health Support for vulnerable

Fundraiser Other (e.g. banner)
service groups

38 33 47 28

Supporting the football pyramid base

Despite focus of football coverage of the Covid-19 crisis being centred primarily on the most prominent
professional clubs, it must not be forgotten that the whole of the industry suffered an abrupt halt during
the severe part of the lockdown. While professional football has been restarting across the continent,
participation football at amateur and grassroots levels has remained under lockdown in many cases.
This was particularly highlighted by the decision of many national associations to terminate or void
lower-level and amateur competitions in their jurisdiction, while at the same time allowing the
continuation of the top divisions. However, what has been missing for grassroots football, as well as for
the women’s game (as highlighted in our #Issue 4), has been the presence in the public eye, as the
plight of the base of the pyramid has typically not made it into the news agenda, thereby creating a veil
of silence over it.
At the same time, the health of the professional game is directly related to the health of the grassroots
one. Participation football provides a first entry point to the game for future talents that will grace the
best fields in the world, but it also helps people to fall in love with the game and become fans, referees,
coaches, administrators and other important stakeholders of future generations.
Traditionally the relationship between the professional and amateur/grassroots parts of the game has
been fairly limited in terms of direct cooperation. In most European countries, grassroots football is
mostly under the remit of the respective national association and the state, but typically grassroots
football teams and competitions are left to their own devices and have to self-support. For their part,
FIFA and UEFA have pledged significant financial support for the entire football pyramid under their
umbrella, including the announcement of a new four-year HatTrick programme from UEFA to the value
of €775.5m, and a pledge from FIFA of $1.5bn for a Covid-19 Relief Fund, but it remains to be seen
how different national associations will prioritise these and other resources they receive.

14
So far, it is not looking good for the grassroots game. For example, the English FA, one of the larger
European national associations, has initiated a round of redundancies and spending cuts to balance its
finances, as losses of up to £300m have been mentioned. Indications are that senior men’s and
women’s teams are not to be streamlined, with the brunt of the cuts to occur in minority areas such as
futsal or beach football, and in grassroots.
One area with a large degree of connection is youth football. Integrated football academies as an
important part of professional clubs have seen a lot of development over the last decades, and now
comprise relatively large talent development systems spanning many age groups, including very early
ages. Nevertheless, even the top level clubs still rely on recruiting a lot of their youth talent from local
grassroots teams, because it is not realistic or feasible to recruit children at the age of 4-5 and have all
of them progress through all age groups until professional level.
In some countries, it is fairly common for professional clubs to create veritable networks of amateur
clubs within their region or country, and sometimes even beyond. This in order to have preferential
access to any talent that emerges through their development structures, and bring them to the senior
academy. Clubs such as Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad, AFC Ajax or Olympiacos have dozens of
“convened” clubs as part of their talent capture network. Beyond financial payments such as fees or
benefits in-kind, they also provide intangible benefits such as access to higher level coaching know-
how, medical care or management, thereby raising the level of their grassroots partners and helping
boost the base of the pyramid.
Grassroots football is resilient by its very own nature, since the system relies on volunteers and
enthusiasts to offer their time and efforts. It is therefore inherently financially self-sustainable as it is
mostly self-funded by those who take part in it, such as the parents of children, or amateur players
covering their own expenses for training and matches. However, it does need support from state and
football authorities in areas such as infrastructure development and maintenance.
During the post-Covid crisis, it will not be possible to safely rely on a single source of institutional
support, because both the football and state authorities themselves are facing unprecedented
challenges. Professional clubs should recognise the significance of the grassroots system to their
wellbeing, even if there is no direct connection in a business sense in all circumstances.
The mindset of “it does not concern me, because it has always been a national association issue” will
be damaging in the long run. Undeniably, the professional clubs will also have their own difficulties do
deal with in this period, and the question is not about saving grassroots before saving themselves. The
preferred outcome should rather be in making sure that professional clubs take the time to listen to the
needs of their local grassroots teams and see if they can help with anything. With every part of the
football pyramid healthier, professional clubs will also benefit.

15
Future outlook
The events of the past several months across Europe and the world have been a massive shock to
the system, affecting all countries and parts of society. As we indicated in the Covid #Issue 3 back in
May, at that time we envisaged three scenarios for the medium-term future: one in which Covid-19
would go away completely, another where it would become a seasonal reality, and a third one in
which the virus would produce a second wave.
Within the space of a month in June, all three of these scenarios were played out in different parts of
Europe: in places like Hungary or Czech Republic, life seemed to have returned to normal and full
football crowds were allowed to return. Meanwhile in other countries such as Scotland, the limitations
imposed on society during the initial wave had still not been completely removed, whilst in places like
Kazakhstan a second wave of Covid-19 infection led to a second stoppage of the season in just over
two months.
Even if the Covid-19 crisis by itself has shifted some social norms, what is going to be truly
challenging is the potentially widespread economic after-crisis that will follow the disruption, and the
social crisis that could result from the economic difficulties as whole economic chains built up for
generations collapse or transform themselves.
This triple hit has the potential to really disrupt things. But, as with all challenges, there will also be
opportunities that present themselves in the new reality, whatever it may be. Below we discuss some
of the areas where disruption will likely happen, and what can be done for football to emerge on the
positive side.

Key challenges
Post-Covid football match experience – how will it look like?
Many commentators are currently talking about a new reality that might (will?) emerge, that would
also affect football as an important part of the entertainment, sport and leisure wider industry, being
one that relies on close personal contact. It is challenging right now to establish exactly how this
new reality will look like, but what is important to consider is that the impact of Covid-19 as it has
already been felt could well have produced long-term social and behavioural shifts that will possibly
shape the world for a long time.
A recurring theme of the return to play phase in the restarting football leagues has been the picture
of the empty eerily stadium without any fans, or with socially distanced spectators dotted around the
stands, with an optional ultras group congregated somewhere behind the goals in a non-socially-
distanced way for contrast.
Even though these images are striking to those of us who know well how these grounds used to
look and how they used to sound prior to March 2020, it is quite likely that this situation will not last
for much longer, as things stabilise and conditions improve, so grounds should not be completely
empty again for much longer. Some leagues in Europe have already allowed a significant proportion
of fans to return to venues, in the likes of Hungary this has already been extended to a return to full
capacity. In the leagues where supporter attendance has not been allowed yet, the current
discussion seems to be centred around possible return to play with supporters in September or
October, and leagues are actively working towards a hopeful full return by late 2020 or early 2021.

16
What is crucial to understand is that during this stage the epidemiological and social situation should
and will direct the moves of the football industry. Once the crisis management period passes, though,
the responsibility will be on football clubs themselves. Both to provide attractive solutions to the
challenges of enhancing the health safety and personal security aspects, whilst also maintaining
capacity as much as possible. In this light, it would be very beneficial for clubs to use the time now to
analyse their match venue and test it against various possible scenarios of long-term anti-Covid
mitigation measures, and measures of heightened hygiene and social distancing in general.
Large crowds of people shoulder to shoulder within a single venue might well become a thing of the
past, even if Covid-19 retreats. This is not a new tendency, there has been a development from
standing terraces and seating benches to all-seater grounds in the space of a few decades, and in the
process, capacities have already been reduced by a significant proportion within the same perimeter.
For the industry to function optimally, it is paramount that the new match day business model is
developed sooner rather than later. Clubs will need to amend their processes, modify their venues and
move on to trying to maximise their revenue under new conditions, rather than trying to reduce their
losses under old ones. For that to happen, the industry as a whole must be in a position to move on
from the crisis and uncertainty mentality to a constructive development mentality, where business
sense and creativity can take over and a new model is successfully built up and offered to the market.
Given that the new framework for it will probably be based on demands for increased personal space
and enhanced safety, this has the potential to drive the organisation of venues into more individualised
and private spaces. It is not unlikely that new solutions could lead to the development of mobile or
flexible seating within grounds, allowing to group together single units of spectators from the same
family or group of friends, based on actual demand.
This development will place under question the business model of the many stadiums constructed
across Europe in the last few years based on previous estimations, especially those that have been
built very recently. If the venue was budgeted to bring in €1m per match with a capacity of 25,000
spectators, it means a per person revenue of €40, which is certainly feasible with standard seating and
basic food & beverage spend. Should the capacity drop down to 15,000 spectators, it would require a
per person spend of €67, which means either significantly higher seat prices or finding additional
revenue from somewhere else.
This lends itself quite naturally towards an increased focus on premium and individualised experiences,
in potentially smaller-capacity venues. On the other hand, it could offer an incentive for many more
clubs to upgrade their infrastructure, in a similar way to the development of stadiums in UK following
the Taylor Report, but on a continental level.
Another important question to solve will be how football deals with the hardcore “ultra” fans, who are
operating within the highly social and close-knit football terracing spirit, and for whom such new
measures would be potentially intolerable. This could end up challenging the notion that football fans
do not change clubs they support, and lead to a recalibration of support across Europe. Those that
seek to have a more “raw” experience would go in search of clubs and/or venues that will enable that,
while the “average” fan will find the experience in mainstream clubs and venues that are more
gentrified.

17
 With a reduction in capacity and/or increased premium nature of the experience, it is quite likely that
the “traditional” football match atmosphere will undergo an evolution, as fewer people engage in
singing, choreography and active support. This might be mitigated by further exploration of audio-visual
technology as a way to create the feeling of this atmosphere based on some set canons, with the
drawback that it will most likely feel and be perceived as artificial. However, whilst unpalatable to the
more traditional fans, it could well be acceptable for other categories of supporters, who are after other
service value propositions than pure and raw authenticity in the stands.

Psychological aspects of return to play for supporters

As mentioned in previous sections, the experience of Covid-19 has already left an imprint into the
desire of fans to attend football matches in future, even once the pandemic is over and venues are fully
reopened. If we find that in a survey of people who all are or have been active supporters in a country
that is well known for the high proportion of the population that attends games almost 5% say that they
will no longer go to matches, it is fairly likely that this number could well be higher in countries with less
of a match attendance tradition or lower interest in football altogether.
All in all, the psychological effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the general population is, as many other
things, still impossible to know for certain. Yet many commentators are already suggesting that issues
such as post-traumatic stress could well become an issue, especially in people who have been
particularly affected.
During the early stages of the pandemic, when lockdowns were being imposed across countries, many
politicians resorted to parallels with wartime, and used war rhetoric to appeal to the population.
Following on with that analogy, if we consider the effects of Covid-19 similar to those of a war, then we
know that wartime is normally followed by an increased prevalence of mental disorders. We also know
that the “civilian” population is severely affected, and within it, groups such as women, children and the
elderly bear the brunt. Interestingly, a post-war period may also yield an increased use of cultural and
coping mechanisms, which could be a significant parallel to draw upon for football as an opportunity to
present itself as a potential such coping mechanism in the post-Covid period.

New economic reality: clubs that can play without spectators vs clubs that can’t
One of the fascinating aspects of this pandemic crisis from the point of view of football business
analysis has been the experience, which has been played out across all leagues deciding on whether
to restart matches or not. In an industry that is normally constructed upon sporting priorities over
economic, the emergence of a health crisis and critical personal health and safety issues made it clear
that neither pure sporting nor pure economic reasons are ultimately decisive.
The Covid-19 crisis has also revealed a crucial fault line within the game: the economic rationale of
playing behind closed doors. Incidentally, this has for a long time been one of the main disciplinary
punishments meted out by national and continental governing bodies. For many leagues across
Europe, the decision to restart hinged on whether financially it was more viable to play on behind
closed doors (i.e. satisfy the broadcasting deal) or shut the league due to the fact that the lack of
spectators would make it financially impossible to take on the expense with matches, especially with
strict return to play health protocols required.
Interestingly, only a minority of domestic competitions chose the latter way. Amongst the countries that
carried on with football there are plenty of those that do not have sizeable broadcasting deals. Clearly,
the role of non-football actors would have been critical in such decisions. One could wonder if the
Swiss league would have resumed without the generous federal support package it received, helping
clubs to mitigate losses incurred and supporting their activity until the end of season 2020/21.

18
However, all such support packages will come to the end, and, should the situation with match
spectators not revert to pre-March conditions, the viability of clubs and entire competitions will be back
in the air once again.
Fundamentally, due to media rights revenues, certain competitions can realistically make economic
sense behind closed doors, even without any spectators. Surely, fans add atmosphere and colour, but
these can apparently be added in the production process. And should this become necessary,
technology will evolve quickly to increase realism and quality. Even more significantly, within some
domestic environments there will be clubs, which could potentially make an economic case for
themselves without supporters in the stands.
Over time, this may revive conversations about a restructuring of competitions, as more commercially-
driven clubs without a massive domestic TV deal seek to join forces with other like-minded
commercially oriented clubs of similar size and vision from other countries. Eventually, they would
come up with their own competitions, rather than being limited by their domestic championships. As the
next few years will be full of economic and social challenges, there is a possibility that leagues in
smaller countries might not have the necessary energy and strength of argument to fight against such
moves.

Football pyramid legitimacy

It has been highlighted by many commentators that the entire top of the football pyramid has somewhat
lacked in action over the duration of the crisis, with many decisions coming late, and sometimes not
coming at all. Certainly, the nature and severity of the Covid-19 pandemic meant that it was not
something that could have been feasibly prepared for in advance, and in many cases the situation was
so volatile that it was not possible to plot a pro-active course through these dangerous waters.
The international governing bodies have made it their priority to pledge financial resources to the wider
football industry. They have also tried to act as a kind of central point for defining responses to the
crisis on several specialist areas such as health and legal matters. On a domestic level, it has been
national associations, leagues and clubs that have been at the real coal face of dealing with the crisis,
and some have fared better than others.
Just like in politics, the actions of leadership in some countries have served to elicit a positive and
galvanising response, whilst in other cases it has led to a build up of potentially very long-lasting fault
lines within the “football family” that might take years if not decades to clear. In particular, this is true of
those countries where leagues were stopped or curtailed. For instance in Belgium, France and
Scotland there have been legal challenges from aggrieved clubs, and memories in football run very
long. Typically, solidarity is a word that tends to be used quite often in football, but there seemed to be
little or no solidarity on offer to the clubs that were faced with relegation in those countries, and instead
the majority of clubs have seemingly ganged up on those that felt aggrieved by decisions made against
them.
The lack of leadership and the seemingly unfair decision-making will undoubtedly create a legacy for
the football governance pyramid, making it weaker both at the edges and internally. Trust is built over
decades, but can be lost in a single second, and if enough actors within the game feel they are not
being listened to, it will not serve well for cohesion, consensus and desire to compromise going
forward.
On the other hand, other external stakeholders such as broadcasters, are gaining more influence over
core aspects of the game. For instance in relation to aspects such as competition format. This
development is unfolding without it being mentioned that football fans sustain football both through
direct financial contributions via match day or merchandise, but also as subscribers to the same TV
broadcasters that are dictating conditions to leagues.

19
 For the communities around football clubs this is especially important, because, despite many words
spoken, the role and significance of fans and supporters is still not fully known at the heart of
governance, or fully involved in the decision-making process. One of the reasons that is often
mentioned is that, unlike the recognised bodies, football fans have many interest groups and
organisations all operating in the same space, rather than a single hierarchical pyramid of its own,
which is what the football industry likes to see. Then again, is it realistic or even desirable to place
football fans, with all their variety, into single pigeonhole boxes?
It would be extremely wise for clubs, leagues and national associations to recognise that most of their
revenue is created either directly or indirectly through the fans that choose to support a club and invest
in it, in the TV stations that show its matches, or in the brands and products that sponsor the club.
Once that recognition is formally in place, it would be wise to actually listen to them and their wishes,
placing their needs at the top of the agenda for decision-making, not as an addendum at the bottom.

Do communities need their football clubs?

Football clubs usually claim to be a crucial part of their community, but up until recently this could have
equally been a marketing slogan, or a truly existential statement based on shared experiences and a
deep connectivity between a club and its environment. It really depended on the club that was
pronouncing those words.
Following Covid-19 and its aftermath, it is likely that most of the football organisations will find
themselves with an increased sense of appreciation and value of their community, even those that prior
to February-March 2020 thought of their community more in marketing and PR terms, rather than
anything more meaningful than that. Living through difficult times together creates bonds and builds
shared experiences that make a community bigger than just a service provider-client relationship.
Nevertheless, this period might see some clubs struggle, others become stronger or even disappear,
although typically this is a very rare occurrence in the football industry. Normally, if football clubs are
established and rooted within their community, there will always be enough interested stakeholders to
keep them going, even in the face of very tough challenges.
Having experienced an enforced period without the ability to actually play football, clubs are now in
possession of an extremely valuable knowledge that they would never have gained under normal
circumstances. Many would have realised that, even though the football match is the crucial
foundational reason behind the emergence of football clubs as structures and organisations, within
society they are able to play a role, even without this match.
Many communities, in turn, have experienced an extremely challenging and traumatic period during the
Covid-19 crisis. In many cases, the presence and actions of the local football club would have made
the situation better, on a physical or emotional level. From now on, as the economic and social crisis
remains at our doorstep, the situation will likely get worse before it will get better, so football clubs and
their communities will need to continue this symbiotic relationship. Otherwise, if there is an imbalance
in terms of contribution, this will be very keenly felt, and will not be conducive to long-term survival of
the football organisation that finds itself taking more from the people than it is giving back.

20
Solutions
The full effects of the Covid-19 crisis on society in general and football in particular is still something
that will be discussed and further analysed for many years to come. With the curtailing of leagues and
changes to formats of competitions, the year 2020 will forever have made a clear mark in clubs’ and
leagues’ history books and statistics.
Football analysts have already started to asses the impact of the unwanted break, the temporary
regulations put in place by the governing bodies and whether empty stadiums have possibly had an
impact on sporting results. The first studies from the first rounds of the restarted Bundesliga in
Germany showed that the well-known home team advantage is disappearing without spectators.
Therefore, in the long run, leagues could finish differently when clubs do not have the considerable
home advantage to the same extent as before. In the 2019 season of the Swedish league Allsvenskan,
the finishing top four teams of the league were also the top four on the list of highest average
attendance that season. However, after the first few rounds of the delayed Allsvenskan season starting
in mid-June 2020 behind closed doors, neither of those four clubs were in the top four places in the
league table, possibly having the players affected by the lack of atmosphere of the fans.

Collaboration and methods of engagement

In many countries across Europe, football fans were at first described as part of the problem when
football officials were pleading to their government authorities to restart competitions. The risk of
having large crowds of supporters congregating outside stadiums and in bars was seen as highly
problematic and a threat to public safety, but this quickly proved to be an unfounded suspicion once
football restarted.
Instead, football fans and supporters could be the big winners emerging from this pandemic crisis,
because at last they are coming out of the woods, even if they still need to structure themselves. What
the Covid-19 crisis clearly has shown is that clubs can not survive without their fans, and the empty
cavernous stadiums have reinforced this reality. Some clubs’ survival was even dependent on financial
aid from their supporters, ranging from claiming a credit on season tickets to appeals for crowdfunding.
But the Covid-19 crisis also highlighted the sociological importance of football that goes beyond its
financial reality and impact, which is strongly embedded especially in the European context. Football
executives and decision-makers on all levels could benefit of this strength if they are willing to explore
methods of greater collaboration to engage the fans as a positive force. Recommendations on how to
engage the community are presented below, but in our previous #Issue 3 on Governance Decision
Making & Football Economy, we already proposed solutions to meet the challenges in governance
including the following proposals that can be applied for greater supporter engagement:
• Have mechanisms ready for outsourcing decision-preparation processes on particularly sensitive
issues to competent external groups (i.e. a kind of jury or task force, which will get full information
on the problem at hand and will be able to propose positive solutions in an objective and
disinterested way, rather than being tangled up in webs of individual self-interest).
• Ensure a greater diversity across all levels of decision-making. This can be done for instance
through a more frequent use of independent or non-executive board members, who can provide a
competent and objective view of the situation, rather than constantly falling into the trap of
confirmation bias. Including individuals of all backgrounds who are not stereotypical of the football
industry, will intrinsically increase diversity of opinions.

21
Recommendations to empower & enfranchise the community

Make sure to put in place a consistent communication through appropriate

1
methods of interaction with all stakeholders, with a clear focus on the fans.
Maintaining a clear and consistent communication fosters loyalty, credibility
and creates a higher performance tolerance.

Create ways to empower fans by including them in the decision-making

2 processes at the club. This can be done by outsourcing decision-preparation

processes on different issues to dedicated external groups, like a kind of
thematic expert group, advisory board or task force.

3 Support and safeguard grassroots football, recognising it as an important

strategic future asset of the football industry deserving of care and protection.

Regularly survey the fans on suggestions, improvements and new business

4 ideas to better understand fan behaviour and attitudes to increase the quality
of business development, analysis and planning. It can also help to identify
and assess partnership and sponsorship opportunities.

Give back to the community. Clubs that are embedded in their community have

5 a greater safety net in times of crisis and are in a great position to make a
difference for those in need. To show responsiveness and gratitude is
important to ensure longevity of fan engagement.
Tendencies on greater collaboration and involvement of supporters have already been seen, for
instance in France where the National Supporters Association (Association Nationale des Supporters)
and the supporter group called Irrésistibles Français were received by the minister of sports Roxana
Maracineanu in June 2020 to discuss a safe return to play and other supporter related issues.
On the other hand, supporters themselves also need to become much more informed about the
business of football, recognise their own vital contribution to it as well as the function of all stakeholders
and engage with the processes that are happening within it. Without that, it will be rather difficult to
obtain full involvement.
Yet if that happens, football could find itself in a much more harmonious place. If it does not happen,
the football pyramid will not collapse overnight, but eventually it will see enough stones within the walls
out of position for the structure to come under risk.

Digitalisation as a way forward

Digitalisation has long been on the agenda of most forward-thinking football clubs, but the entire Covid-
19 crisis has underlined the vital significance of technology to anyone, in case they did not think it was
very useful before.

In the words of a PWC report on digital transformation in football

from a few years ago:

“Digital has impacted the football world and will continue to do so. Ticketing is very much a digital
process. Merchandise sales online are a feature of the industry today and have been for some
time. Social media intensifies the connection between fan and club and provides insights which
clubs can learn from. Digital has driven down the cost of media creation to the point where most
football clubs now find they are able to produce and distribute more content, and of a higher
quality, than was possible only a short time ago.”

The Covid-19 stress testing regime has demonstrated that the digital communication channel is
fundamental for the wellbeing of the relationship between clubs and their fans. Yet, what many clubs
still do not fully engage with is the need to truly place the supporter in the middle of their strategic
thinking on everything, including how, when, where and what to communicate. Often the argument will
be made that empowering supporters means clubs lose control over the message, but the reality is that
the modern world no longer deals in one-way or one-dimensional communication. Content comes from
everywhere, and flies in every direction, and any attempts to limit or control it will be seen as artificial.

Club

Stakeholders
Digitalised
Ecosystem Fans

Clients

23
 Supporting the grassroots
The Covid-19 crisis has touched every level of the football industry, but the difficulties faced by
grassroots football organisations have not been front page material during this time, even though some
media have picked up on this critical issue. Right now, what is needed is a concerted effort between
the traditional guardians of the football grassroots system, that is national associations and local
authorities, together with leagues and football clubs.
In countries where there are large professional clubs and important leagues, these should take much
more interest in supporting their grassroots networks than before. In other countries where clubs and
leagues are not so well off, they should still use their position to lobby for help not only for themselves,
but also for the bedrock of the game. Across the continent, many millions of people play the game at a
recreational level, both kids and adults. These are the kids that grow up to be the next Messi, but also
the next fan in the stadium, or supporter watching football on TV, because they are involved and
emotionally invested in the game. If a generation grows up without playing football, as there are fewer
local opportunities, it will undoubtedly have a negative impact on the industry.
As mentioned in a previous section, there will not be a single recipe or a single saviour in all countries.
In some cases, financial assistance from the likes of FIFA or UEFA might be enough, but elsewhere
other sources will be required. What is going to be paramount to safeguard grassroots football for
future generations is the recognition of the importance of grassroots as a strategic pillar of the football
industry, deserving of care and protection by whatever means may be necessary and appropriate.
In countries where there are large professional clubs and important leagues, these should take much
more interest in supporting their grassroots networks than before. In other countries where clubs and
leagues are not so well off, they should still use their position to lobby for help not only for themselves,
but also for the bedrock of the game. Across the continent, many millions of people play the game at a
recreational level, both kids and adults. These are the kids that grow up to be the next Messi, but also
the next fan in the stadium, or supporter watching football on TV, because they are involved and
emotionally invested in the game. If a generation grows up without playing football, as there are fewer
local opportunities, it will undoubtedly have a negative impact on the industry.

24
Appendix
 Some fan thoughts on football returning and re-evaluating their feelings for the game
(from The Guardian):
I’ve missed it much less than I thought I would. Initially, I really missed the cadence of the
Saturday afternoon – the results, the analysis and the narrative that went with it. As time went on,
I missed it a lot less and realised that trying to keep up was tiring. I’ll be a lot more selective about
what I watch when it returns. I’ve completely fallen out of love with the Premier League and its
feelings of self-importance. I couldn’t care whether the league comes back or not given that
people are dying from a pandemic. This has been an overdue awakening for how important
football really is. Neil Tween, 36
I have not missed it nearly as much as I thought I would, especially the hype and endless
coverage about very little. So much of it is exhausting and uninteresting. Sport has become a
mass distraction from the properly important things, designed to relieve us of as much money as
possible. I’ve not missed the shouty marketing, the obscene amounts of cash, the racism,
intolerance, tribalism. I do miss the skill from sportspeople at the top of their game and will watch
when it returns, but more sparingly. Stephen Price, 58

I haven’t missed it as much as I expected. I have spent my time on more important things, such
as my daughter! When sport returns, I don’t think I will be as passionate as before – but, who
knows, this is football and its magic may charm me again instantly. Mert Ezic, 38
The worst thing is not having anything to discuss with friends. It is perfect for anything from a
casual chat to a fiery debate, safe in the knowledge it isn’t the end of the world if you’re wrong.
Without sport, you are often left with the brutal realities of the real world. Arguing over the Premier
League is more fun than Brexit or Covid-19. Duncan Brown, 27
I used to wonder what life would be like without football. Now that I’ve experienced it, I never want
to go through this again! I tend to organise my week around the fixture list. I will be more
passionate when sport returns. It is very easy to take things for granted. The extreme highs and
lows of being a football fan make life more colourful. I can’t wait until we get it back. Paul Bellamy,
46

I am missing football, quite badly. The rhythm of the week has been profoundly disturbed. For me, a
Burnley game at the end of the week is crucial to that rhythm. The anticipation helps deal with other
challenges through the week. The match is the fulcrum around which whole weekends are planned.
For me, it is a social life, a cultural life, a sporting life wrapped into one. For football fans, there is
always something to look forward to: the next match, the next season, the next transfer window, the
next cup run – so many nexts. Now all we have to look forward to, in the immediate future, is
emptiness, confusion, and uncertainty about when this void in our lives will be filled.
It is not just Burnley I miss. It is a weird feeling to slump down on the sofa at the end of the day, and
find pretty much nothing on Sky Sports or BT Sport that I want to watch. I can’t help thinking Sky
Sports News should just shut down for a while, rather than pretend that a sports channel is the best
place to keep up to date with the Covid-19 developments. Alastair Campbell, writing on 18 April

Jun 5, 2020 https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jun/05/passionate-how-lockdown-has-changed-sports-fans-football

26
% Who say they’ve been spending significantly
more time doing the following*

AII AU BR CN FR DE IT JP PH SG ZA SP UK USA
% % % % % % % % % % % % % %
Creating/ uploading videos (e.g. on
YouTube,TikTok, etc)
5 4 9 6 3 2 3 2 10 4 6 4 3 3

Listening to more radio 6 7 6 5 9 10 9 6 14 9 18 13 7 5

Listening to more streaming services

(e.g. Spotify, Apple Music, etc)
13 5 14 17 5 5 9 5 19 9 9 10 6 7

Reading more books / listening to

more audioboooks
14 5 12 17 10 8 16 9 12 9 15 20 7 11

Reading more magazines 4 1 3 5 5 3 6 3 4 4 4 4 4 4

Reading more newspapers 6 5 8 5 5 8 8 7 9 13 12 7 6 5

Spending longer on messaging

services(e.g. WhatsApp, Facebook 22 6 26 29 10 7 29 4 33 15 23 29 9 6
Messenger, ect)

Spending longer on social media (e.g.

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc)
21 12 29 22 12 7 24 13 49 18 28 23 9 16

Spending longer talking on the

telephone to others
10 5 5 12 15 10 18 3 5 4 7 18 8 9

Spending more time cooking 22 7 7 32 11 7 23 6 21 12 10 13 6 12

Spending more time on apps 15 5 12 22 6 3 10 3 21 8 14 9 7 5

Spending more time on computer/

video games
18 9 19 21 15 8 15 20 21 8 14 20 8 13

Spending more time on hobbies/

pastimes
18 8 14 22 13 11 17 22 24 11 12 6 10 12

Spending more time socializing as a

family/ household
31 8 15 45 20 17 21 12 37 12 19 29 9 17

Watching more news coverage 36 26 37 40 28 36 35 36 51 36 38 35 32 26

Watchin more shows/ films on

streaming services (e.g. Netflix)
27 15 24 31 14 11 27 13 36 19 22 31 15 24

Watching more TV on broadcast

chnnels
20 15 21 17 29 16 24 32 37 15 26 17 14 18

Source: GlobalWebIndex March 16-20 2020

27
QUARANTINE INTERNET ACTIVITIES, %

All Gen Z Millennials Gen Z Boomers

Searching for coronavirus/ Covid-19 updates 68 67 71 69 54

Listening to music 58 71 62 54 38

Watching movies/shows 49 51 52 51 34

Watching funny videos 42 52 44 39 27

Playing games on mobile 40 47 45 36 34

Looking at memes 32 54 41 21 9

Playing games on PC/laptop 29 29 36 25 25

Searching for cooking recipes 28 21 35 29 21

Reading business & finance articles/news 27 14 35 28 21

Searching for discounts from brands 24 22 28 23 23

Reading healthy eating articles 24 19 31 22 16

Reading sports news 23 16 32 19 24

Reading celebrity news 22 25 25 19 15

Listening to podcasts 18 16 26 16 7

Watching fitness videos 18 18 24 17 3

Searching for fashion trends/discounts 16 14 23 13 7

Reading live blogs 15 12 22 13 9

Watching esports videos/livestreams 12 14 20 9 2

Searching for vacations 12 11 18 9 3

Watching webinars 11 9 16 9 6

I’m trying to stay off the internet 5 5 4 6 8

Source: GlobalWebIndex March 16-20 2020

28
YOUTUBE

Team Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May

Real Madrid Youtube 11752680 17309344 9930425 11885174 10154443 7833345

Man United Youtube 30950294 20823274 29661446 32772667 16576762 17113809

Bayern
Youtube 8779813 8215233 8719046 10663383 6392383 9390792
München

FC Barcelona Youtube 53154702 42122269 28010096 27580214 21042461 22587697

SL Benfica Youtube 702049 1692967 901633 759546 592985 577392

PSG Youtube 7711979 9493130 8936673 9097407 5157574 3775953

Schalke 04 Youtube 369963 1616721 1187403 756150 487165 551201

Olympique
Youtube 294454 636210 454357 957345 548947 603542
Lyonnais

Zenit FC Youtube 1453650 2657321 1956397 1956858 1636697 989300

Celtic FC Youtube 1527447 991735 1365869 777962 579427 865750

AFC Ajax Youtube 5908894 6497407 6836571 6038429 5080630 5010819

Rangers FC Youtube 1563284 1405213 2079842 725608 349103 522870

AS Roma Youtube 887733 1191470 980740 1053408 880655 1015847

Club Brugge Youtube 394679 456030 232991 279268 298647 285161

Heart of
Youtube 15437 9671 11301 12221 8663 8747
Midlothian
Legia
Youtube 1453749 578079 292783 431130 273792 258392
Warszawa

Rapid Wien Youtube 50447 53874 66625 49868 49304 37019

FC Basel Youtube 19364 20257 11028 12314 28397 32686

Malmö FF Youtube 277467 58200 85009 36093 51670 37353

GNK Dinamo
Youtube 327665 184736 180679 177882 78540 76924
Zagreb

BATE Borisov Youtube 35869 64712 90645 99630 99977 154065

29
WHEN WILL LIFE RETURN TO NORMAL?
COVID -19 has caused a massive shake-up of daily life,making us question everything
from hugging our loved ones to getting a haircut.

According to a recent survey of 511 epidemiologists and infectious and infectious disease
experts from the U.S. And Canada, here is how long it expected to take before things can
return to the status quo:

Attend a sporting event, concert, or

64% 32% 3%
play
52% 40% 7%
Stop routinely wearing a face covering
MAYBE A
YEAR OR

Attend a church or other religious

43% 43% 13%
service
MORE

Go out with someone you don't

42% 42% 14%
knowwell
Hug or shake hands when greeting a
42% 39% 14%
friend
42% 41% 17%
Attend a wedding or a funeral
40% 42% 14%
Exercise at a gym or fitness studio
28% 56% 16%
Eat at a dine-in restaurant
37% 44% 20%
Travel by airplane
WITHIN A YEAR

Visit elderly relative or friend in their

39% 41% 20%
home
39% 40% 20%
Ride a subway or a bus
29% 47% 23%
Send children on play dates
18% 54% 27%
Work in a shared office
15% 55% 30%
Send kids to school, camp, or day care
27% 41% 31%
Hike or picnic outdoors with friends
21% 46% 32%
Attend a small dinner party
19% 39% 41%
Get a haircut at a salon or barber shop
HAPPEN
COULD

SOON

Vacation overnight within driving

18% 26% 54%
distance
11% 29% 60%
See a doctor for a non-urgent appt.
14% 16% 64%
Bring in mail without precautions

1 YEAR + 3-12 MONTHS THIS SUMMER NEVER AGAIN

Source: NY Times
SOURCES

• https://www.sofoot.com/le-deconfinement-de-la-soiree-foot-devant-la-tele-483750.html

• https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jun/05/passionate-how-lockdown-has-changed-sports-
fans-football

• https://yougov.co.uk/topics/sport/articles-reports/2020/06/12/premier-league-kick-off-time-return

• https://football.newstank.eu/en/article/view/185821/2019-20-bundesliga-matchday-31-best-
cumulative-audience-of-season-on-sky-s.html

• https://football.newstank.eu/en/article/view/186307/2019-20-premier-league-3-1-million-viewers-for-
manchester-city-arsenal.html

• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-8112295/Football-fans-meltdown-social-
media-no-3pm-games-watch-amid-coronavirus-crisis.html

• https://www.fansvscovid19.com/

• https://copa90.media/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ModernFanReport19.pdf

• https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/football-coronavirus-premier-league-social-distancing-sport-
epl-a9471976.html

• https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevemccaskill/2020/04/29/how-data-is-boosting-everton-fcs-fan-
communication-during-lockdown/

• https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/06/29/fa-cut-jobs-coronavirus-pandemic-causes-losses-
300m/

• https://scottishfsa.org/survey-results-the-effect-of-covid-19-on-supporter-behaviour/

• https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/06/08/upshot/when-epidemiologists-will-do-everyday-
things-coronavirus.html

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472271/

• https://www.lacote.ch/dossiers/coronavirus/articles/coronavirus-500-millions-pour-aider-le-sport-a-
surmonter-la-crise-937731

• https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/may/07/football-coronavirus-this-could-be-the-end-of-
grassroots-game-change-non-league

• GlobalWebIndex 16-20 March 2020

31
LTT Sports constructs bespoke solutions based on football expertise from the inside and
corporate industry standards from the outside at strategy, operational and field levels, as
well as a visionary conceptual understanding of the universally shared needs of the
football industry in a fast-evolving landscape.

COVID CRISIS 2020 IN FOOTBALL Previous analysis

#Issue 1 Financial First Response, Mitigation and Contingency, March 2020
#Issue 2 Football Department Crisis Management, April 2020
#Issue 3 Governance, Decision Making & Football Economy, May 2020
#Issue 4 Resilience and Mitigation in Women’s Football, May 2020

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Konstantin Kornakov Siri Wallenius

Strategy Council Member Managing Partner
konstantin@lttsports.com siri@clubaffairs.ch
Edinburgh, UK Geneva, Switzerland

Contributors to this Issue:

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Strategy Council Member Managing Partner
konrad@lttsports.com olivier@clubaffairs.ch
Geneva, Switzerland Geneva, Switzerland

Maria Fernandes Design

FBA Student Klaudia Malecka
London, UK
Content Creator
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