Safety first: No fans for football matches

ABU DHABI — All the UAE football matches will be played behind closed doors without spectators until further notice as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus.

The UAE Football Association (UAEFA) said that it is constantly following up with the concerned authorities for the latest updates of Covid-19 and precautionary measures to be taken.

“The association prioritises the safety of all the players, technical staff, administrators and the loyal fans of football over any other matter. Therefore, it was decided that all the football competitions in the UAE will be played without the presence of spectators. The championships include President’s Cup, First Division League, Second Division League, youth competitions, futsal competitions, beach soccer and women’s competitions,” the UAE Football Association said. “We highly request all the clubs, private academies and football entities to abide by this decision in order to ensure the safety.”

First of the matches to be played in the stadiums without fans started on Thursday as the Round 18 of the Arabian Gulf League resumed. These matches are being played in stadiums in Dubai, Sharjah, Al Ain, Kalba, Abu Dhabi and Khor Fakkan.

Mohammed Abdullah Hazam Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General, UAEFA, said workshops have been held to brief clubs about the precautionary measures to be taken at stadiums.

The UAE Pro League, the nation’s professional football league, said it is coordinating with all the relevant authorities with regards to the health situation and preventive and precautionary measures.

“It was decided to suspend fan attendance in all its competitions until further notice, for the safety of the public,” the UAE Pro League said in a statement.

The next tournament to be played in empty stadiums will be the President’s Cup to be held on Tuesday with three teams from Abu Dhabi and one from Sharjah in action.