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The Hungarian League allows soccer fans to enter the stadium
The country became the first in Europe to receive spectators returning to the stands, but with the number of people dramatically decreasing and measures of social distance imposed.
Under the regulations imposed by the Hungarian national soccer federation (MLSZ), fans must be spread so that no more than one seat in four is occupied and each second row is completely empty.
“Clubs that organize matches must ensure that social distance is maintained in the stands to guarantee conditions for epidemiological control,” MLSZ said in a statement.
The first match with fans took place on Friday, hosted by bottom team Kaposvar against fellow ZTE fighters, with social media posts from MLSZ describing new steps in place at a stadium which usually holds 7,000 spectators.
Supporters of the hosts in attendance may hope they don’t care, with Kaposvar slumping to a 6-0 defeat to stay rooted to the bottom of the standings.
In Saturday’s action, Mezokovesd, who was in third place, visited DVTK, slipping to a 1-0 defeat, in a match that was rarely attended even though pockets of fans seemed to gather to create more atmosphere and entertain their team.
A bigger test of whether fans will comply with new restrictions will come Sunday with the visit of league leader Ferencvaros to Puskas FC, the club of Felcsut, which is the hometown of the Hungarian Prime Minister who supports football, Viktor Orban.
Thirty-time Hungarian champions Ferencvaros regularly attract large numbers of people to matches in a league where on average only 3,000 per match.
Drive-in soccer fans
Meanwhile, fans in the Czech Republic, where the league has returned behind closed doors, have been offered a new way to gather to show support for their team and watch the match live.
When Sparta Prague hosted Viktoria Plzen in second place Wednesday, supporters could watch the match on the big screen from inside their cars in drive-in theaters in Plzen and Prague.
The experiment proved to be a success, but vocal supporters left their cars at key moments with Plzen fans ending happier when their team ensured a 2-1 away win.
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