Virtual fans help kick off Danish football after virus break
Amid social distancing restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Danish premiership league has kicked off again — with the first match after the restart cheered on by virtual spectators. AGF Aarhus drew 1-1 with Randers FC in a west Danish regional derby late Thursday after equalizing in injury time. The Super League derby generated headlines across the country — and around the world — due to the innovation of introducing digital spectators in the Ceres Park stadium in Aarhus.
The stands were empty, but
AGF Aarhus sought to create an atmosphere with cheering fans who joined using the Zoom video conferencing system from video screens set up on one side of the pitch. Cardboard cut-outs of fans were also placed on the stands. “A virtual stand marks the return of football to Denmark,” wrote Spanish sports paper Marca, labelling it a “groundbreaking initiative”.
AGF coach David Nielsen said he was “sure this meant something to the players, that it created a bit of an alternative 2020 atmosphere,” news agency Ritzau reported. Thomas Thomasberg, Nielsen’s counterpart at Randers, said the match had a lot of energy and it was as if “there were 10,000 to 15,000 spectators.”
Danish daily Politiken was a little more sceptical in its review. “Virtual Spectators and Fake
Fan Sounds: The Super League’s comeback was more quirky than beautiful,” it wrote.
“More than 10,000 digital spectators and fan sounds from loudspeakers were good attempts, but could not save the mood or quality of the game as the Super League restarted after 79 days of corona break with a draw.”
The Ekstrabladet tabloid said it also missed the live sounds from the stands. “No sighs, no cheering, no big fluctuations in the soundscape no matter what happened on the pitch,” the daily said.
Some fans sat in their cars and watched the match on large screens at a location near the stadium.