Abstract des Autors

The first and biggest leagues to restart competitive play after a lengthy and unprecedented interruption induced by the Covid-19 pandemic were the soccer leagues in Europe—including the German Bundesliga, Spain’s LaLiga, and the English Premier League (EPL). All restarted matches after a several-month stoppage and only when leagues, governing bodies, and local municipalities deemed that it was safe to do so (Duckworth 2021; McDougall 2021). Serie A in Italy returned shortly thereafter, whereas France’s Ligue 1 suspended play for the remainder of the season and did not resume. For the first three leagues to return, the ‘safe’ restart included a plan to play the remaining league matches of the 2019- 2020 season in empty stadia without fans present. This chapter examines media coverage of, and fan reactions to, the restart of European soccer without the presence of fans in stadia. More specifically, to understand the implications of empty stadia, the lack of sound and atmosphere, and the absence of fans, we considered media reports about soccer’s return to play, viewers’ impressions of the introduction and use of artificial sound, and fans’ responses to celebrating a specific club’s championship in a pandemic-adjusted season.