Coronavirus: A return to live football at Belgium's national stadium - but many opt to stay home
Let's be honest from the start. I'm a football fan; I love football and I really adore going to football matches.
The crackle of anticipation, the murmur of the crowd, the chanting and singing. The sheer chaotic spontaneity. The hope that you're going to see something special.
It is a long time since most of us have had that opportunity to see a game in front of a big crowd.
But here, in Brussels, the chance came up - Belgium playing against Ivory Coast in a friendly game at the famous King Baudouin Stadium, to the north of the city.
A ground that holds more than 50,000 fans in normal times, now offering 11,000 tickets to be part of the crowd. And I had one.
But, of course, these are not normal times, and this was not a normal match.
The COVID-19 rate in Brussels has increased sharply since the decision was taken to sell tickets.
Intensive care beds are filling up again and, the day before the game, the city announced the closure of all bars and cafes.
So on the one hand, I'm told it's too dangerous for me to sit at my local cafe and have a coffee on my own.
But on the other, it is apparently safe to invite 11,000 people into a stadium. On the face of it, that is confusing.
As we arrived, the rain was tumbling from the sky in big heavy sheets. The sort of weather where you get drenched in moments.
We saw the team buses drive past and go straight into the stadium through a huge gate, stopping next to the pitch so the players could walk straight into the changing room.
Fans were arriving in dribs and drabs - each ticket came with an allocated arrival time to avoid any surge of crowds.
Inside, bubbles of family members or friends could sit together but otherwise there was strict social distancing.
I spoke to plenty of fans and they were, without exception, calm about coming to the stadium.
They told me that the precautions imposed upon fans had eased any concerns; that they would respect all the rules and that "if they say it is safe then I believe them".
One woman told me that, after seven months in which Belgium in general, and Brussels in particular, has been hurt badly by coronavirus, it now felt good to get back to doing something normal.
Football, I suppose, has always had the ability to take us away from the travails of our normal lives, which is why fans miss it when it's taken away.
So what was it like? Well, watching football was great. It really was.
Even though this was a lacklustre game between a Belgium reserve team and an Ivory Coast side going through the motions, the pleasure of watching footballers - of enjoying the minutiae of tactics and tackles - was all there.
The bellow for a goal reverberated around the ground; the jeers for a dive were loud. But this giant stadium really did look sparsely populated.
From the opening glance round, it was clear that there weren't 11,000 people in here.
So was this a return to normality? Not really, no.
The people I spoke to were a self-selecting group who were happy to come to a ground during these strange times. But it's clear that plenty of football fans are still far too nervous to come back.
How do we know this? Because of those 11,000 tickets that went on sale, only around 6,200 were actually sold.
And, so I'm told, only about 4,600 people actually came along on the night.
That means that only around 40% of the seats that could have been used were actually occupied.
And a quarter of the people who bought tickets didn't turn up.
Yes, it was a friendly game; yes, the weather was bad, but I don't think that's what kept the fans away.
Because, at a time when the pandemic is resurgent, it comes back to the same basic question - if people are told it's not safe to go to a cafe, can they really be sure it's safe to go to a football match?
I think going to stadium is more safe than going to cafe. Because we have more space to keep social distancing. But we can't do certain actions like singing chants in chorus. We have to behave like tennis 🎾 fans inside stadium or the one we see in cricket for England test matches. The problem arise when we need to go to toilet, buy snacks and water during interval.
Pele just released a song. Yes, got your attention now, haven't we?
The greatest footballer of all time (GOAT) just dropped a hot collab with Grammy winners Rodrigo y Gabriela.
"I've written many books, I've scored many goals, I've fathered children, I've planted many trees. The only thing that's lacking is a musical memento of my life," says the Brazilian legend, who turns 80 on 23 October.
Pele actually wrote Acredita No Veio (Listen To The Old Man), in 2005, together with Brazilian jazz musician and arranger Ruria Duprat.
"I wrote this one because when I used to play with Santos, the coach used to say that when we lost it was the players' fault, but when we won it was the macumba (magic) had helped," said Pele. "The song is joking about that - of course, macumba doesn't win games at all."
Basically, the song seems to be about using magic to damn the opposition.
"Cast a spell on the goalie of the opposing team, the goalie will be off his game, he'll have a howler!" goes one of the verses.
There's also some surprising archive footage of Pele missing a few sitters.
Plus, there's some stuff about the economics of goats and African chickens.
"Hey, see that goat? It costs R$7000, just give me the money and I'll make a deal. See that African chicken? It costs R$4000, so just chill out, 'cos this spell never fails."
Anyway, the bigger question is really this: how come we never knew until now that the great man had such a musical leaning?
'I didn't want the public to make the comparison between Pele the composer and Pele the footballer," he said, adding, "That would have been a huge injustice - in football my talent was a gift from God, music was just for fun."
Mexican duo Rodrigo y Gabriela won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. They're both chuffed.
"We are both big soccer fans. Growing up in Mexico City, we heard many stories about Pele and the legendary Brazilian team that triumphed at the 1970 World Cup in our homeland," they said, adding, "Imagine our surprise and delight to find out that not only is Pele the greatest footballer of all time, but is also a very talented singer and songwriter? It is a huge honour for us to collaborate with Pele on the occasion of his 80th birthday.'"
The collaboration came about through Mexican producer Jorge Berlanga, who knew Pele and knew he had a good set of lungs on him.
Comments
His family has stated that his condition is stable now. However, he is not completely out of danger, and doctors are monitoring his condition
Hoping for his speedy recovery!
Coronavirus: A return to live football at Belgium's national stadium - but many opt to stay home
Let's be honest from the start. I'm a football fan; I love football and I really adore going to football matches.
The crackle of anticipation, the murmur of the crowd, the chanting and singing. The sheer chaotic spontaneity. The hope that you're going to see something special.
It is a long time since most of us have had that opportunity to see a game in front of a big crowd.
But here, in Brussels, the chance came up - Belgium playing against Ivory Coast in a friendly game at the famous King Baudouin Stadium, to the north of the city.
A ground that holds more than 50,000 fans in normal times, now offering 11,000 tickets to be part of the crowd. And I had one.
The COVID-19 rate in Brussels has increased sharply since the decision was taken to sell tickets.
Intensive care beds are filling up again and, the day before the game, the city announced the closure of all bars and cafes.
So on the one hand, I'm told it's too dangerous for me to sit at my local cafe and have a coffee on my own.
But on the other, it is apparently safe to invite 11,000 people into a stadium. On the face of it, that is confusing.
As we arrived, the rain was tumbling from the sky in big heavy sheets. The sort of weather where you get drenched in moments.
We saw the team buses drive past and go straight into the stadium through a huge gate, stopping next to the pitch so the players could walk straight into the changing room.
Fans were arriving in dribs and drabs - each ticket came with an allocated arrival time to avoid any surge of crowds.
Inside, bubbles of family members or friends could sit together but otherwise there was strict social distancing.
I spoke to plenty of fans and they were, without exception, calm about coming to the stadium.
They told me that the precautions imposed upon fans had eased any concerns; that they would respect all the rules and that "if they say it is safe then I believe them".
One woman told me that, after seven months in which Belgium in general, and Brussels in particular, has been hurt badly by coronavirus, it now felt good to get back to doing something normal.
So what was it like? Well, watching football was great. It really was.
Even though this was a lacklustre game between a Belgium reserve team and an Ivory Coast side going through the motions, the pleasure of watching footballers - of enjoying the minutiae of tactics and tackles - was all there.
The bellow for a goal reverberated around the ground; the jeers for a dive were loud. But this giant stadium really did look sparsely populated.
From the opening glance round, it was clear that there weren't 11,000 people in here.
The people I spoke to were a self-selecting group who were happy to come to a ground during these strange times. But it's clear that plenty of football fans are still far too nervous to come back.
How do we know this? Because of those 11,000 tickets that went on sale, only around 6,200 were actually sold.
And, so I'm told, only about 4,600 people actually came along on the night.
That means that only around 40% of the seats that could have been used were actually occupied.
And a quarter of the people who bought tickets didn't turn up.
Yes, it was a friendly game; yes, the weather was bad, but I don't think that's what kept the fans away.
Because, at a time when the pandemic is resurgent, it comes back to the same basic question - if people are told it's not safe to go to a cafe, can they really be sure it's safe to go to a football match?
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-a-return-to-live-football-at-belgiums-national-stadium-but-many-opt-to-stay-home-12099857
Thought-provoking read!
But we can't do certain actions like singing chants in chorus. We have to behave like tennis 🎾 fans inside stadium or the one we see in cricket for England test matches.
The problem arise when we need to go to toilet, buy snacks and water during interval.
Pele has released a song about a football curse
Pele just released a song. Yes, got your attention now, haven't we?
The greatest footballer of all time (GOAT) just dropped a hot collab with Grammy winners Rodrigo y Gabriela.
"I've written many books, I've scored many goals, I've fathered children, I've planted many trees. The only thing that's lacking is a musical memento of my life," says the Brazilian legend, who turns 80 on 23 October.
Pele actually wrote Acredita No Veio (Listen To The Old Man), in 2005, together with Brazilian jazz musician and arranger Ruria Duprat.
"I wrote this one because when I used to play with Santos, the coach used to say that when we lost it was the players' fault, but when we won it was the macumba (magic) had helped," said Pele. "The song is joking about that - of course, macumba doesn't win games at all."
"Cast a spell on the goalie of the opposing team, the goalie will be off his game, he'll have a howler!" goes one of the verses.
There's also some surprising archive footage of Pele missing a few sitters.
Plus, there's some stuff about the economics of goats and African chickens.
Anyway, the bigger question is really this: how come we never knew until now that the great man had such a musical leaning?
'I didn't want the public to make the comparison between Pele the composer and Pele the footballer," he said, adding, "That would have been a huge injustice - in football my talent was a gift from God, music was just for fun."
Mexican duo Rodrigo y Gabriela won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. They're both chuffed.
"We are both big soccer fans. Growing up in Mexico City, we heard many stories about Pele and the legendary Brazilian team that triumphed at the 1970 World Cup in our homeland," they said, adding, "Imagine our surprise and delight to find out that not only is Pele the greatest footballer of all time, but is also a very talented singer and songwriter? It is a huge honour for us to collaborate with Pele on the occasion of his 80th birthday.'"
The collaboration came about through Mexican producer Jorge Berlanga, who knew Pele and knew he had a good set of lungs on him.
Too late to get it included in the new Fifa game?
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/54615073
Happy Durga Puja and Happy Navratri to the IFN family!