La Liga Latest: Crowd Noise to Be Used for Atmosphere, Kick-Off Times to Be Impacted by High Temperatures & More
By Adam Aladay
The resumption of the 2019/20 season in Spain's top flight is edging closer, with Sevilla's derby clash with Real Betis pencilled in as the first match to be played after the restart - potentially on 11 June.
However, due to the ongoing impact of the coronavirus, a number of questions remain unanswered, while plans remain contingent upon the health and wellbeing of everyone involved.
Here's a breakdown of the latest updates on the current plans in Spain...
Crowd Noise From Previous Games to Be Used to Improve Atmosphere
The Bundesliga in Germany has, of course, already returned, and one of the major talking points has been the lack of noise while matches have been played due to the fact that fans aren't allowed into the stadiums.
As a result, leagues have been exploring ways to improve the atmosphere and make it more appealing, and Mediapro president Jaume Roures has now revealed that crowd noises from previous matches 'will' be used to create an atmosphere for viewers watching live games. To that end, cameras will also be closer to the field to offer 'different, richer and closer' broadcasts.
"We will try to fill a gap that is almost impossible to achieve, which is the vital support that the amateur plays on the field. What we will do is recover that environment that was generated in each of the playing fields, which we have been recording all of these years, and reproduce it," Roures told Radio Nacional de España (RNE).
"It seems to us that it helps to have a closer perception of football, although it will not be exactly the same. It will be the real environment in each of the stadiums, and will help to have a more emotional interaction with the games."
Talks Ongoing for Games to Be Shown for Free in Care Homes
Roures further revealed that Mediapro are in talks with La Liga regarding making football free to access for people in care homes who are suffering from the coronavirus. Roures has claimed that he hopes an official announcement can be made very soon.
"We are talking to La Liga, and I hope to make it public as soon as possible, it is to help the nursing homes to have direct access to football. Tomorrow or the day after, we will be able to provide a solution for this.
"In 24 or 48 hours we will be able to say how we are going to do it. It is a very punished group and forced to be more confined than the rest."
La Liga President Discusses How High Temperatures Will Impact Kick-Off Times
La Liga president Javier Tebas has stated that plans are being discussed for kick-off times to vary depending on the region and the heat in that area. With temperatures continuing to rise as summer approaches, Tebas is keen to address the issue.
Speaking on Movistar’s #BackToWin show on Sunday (courtesy of LaLigaTV), Tebas said: "Our plan for kick-off times during the week would be to play in the afternoon or evening, between 7.30-8pm or 9.30-10pm. Over the weekend, there would be three slots: 5pm, 7.30pm, 9.30pm or 10pm. It hasn’t been decided yet, we’re looking at it with our broadcasters.
"But obviously, we’d plan for those 5pm games to be those played up on Spain’s northern coast. Places like Bilbao and San Sebastian, Oviedo and Gijon in LaLiga SmartBank, Depor and Celta over in Galicia, where temperatures in June and July don’t exceed 28°C."