Six lean years experienced by Egyptian stadiums due to the absence of fans from matches, especially since the match between Zamalek and Enppi in the league season 2015 due to security considerations, followed by the repercussions of the Corona crisis.
first step
During those years, the stadiums witnessed a partial and intermittent attendance of the fans in the African championships and amid very difficult security measures, but this season the Professional Clubs Association – which was elected for the first time in Egypt – took upon itself the issue of the return of the public, specifically 2,000 fans per match, with 1,000 fans per team. .
Ahmed Diab, head of the Professional Clubs Association, told Sky News Arabia that the issue of crowd attendance was a priority, “because the public presence is one of the biggest factors for the success of the tournament and the high marketing value of it.”
He added, “We did not find it difficult to make the decision after presenting a clear plan to the Football Association and the Ministry of Interior in order to facilitate the return of the masses, and indeed the League received great support from officials so that the decision was in line with the various bold and effective decisions taken by the Egyptian state in all sectors.”
The member of the House of Representatives explained that “the attendance of 1,000 fans for each team is not the ambition of the Professional Clubs Association, while it is a step on the way to the attendance of the fans with full capacity in the stadiums, but gradually and according to many controls, stressing that the main goal is to return things to normal and the presence of the fans continuously and significantly during local competitions. “.
ball for the fans
Some say that the audience is the number 12 player for any technical manager who relies on 11 players on the field, but he is actually the number 1 player, so to speak, sitting in the stands supporting and supporting and supporting the players on the field.
For his part, Sayed Abdel Hafeez, director of the Al-Ahly football team, praised the decision to return the fans to the stands again, and considered it a very important step and consistent with the general trend of all international leagues.
Abdel Hafeez told “Sky News Arabia” that the public presence in the stands always makes a moral difference for the players and gives them confidence to give their best, and that the decision to return, even in a small percentage or in few numbers, is a positive decision because “the ball is for the fans”, and the stadiums are not necessarily filled with The last of them is with the beginning of the season, but the important thing is to restore life and spirit to the green rectangle.
Psychological factor
The crowd presence in the stands is not only important from a technical point of view for the players, but it is also important from a psychological point of view and has a direct relationship to improving performance.
Mohamed Fikri, the psychiatrist, said that the fans give players the incentive and motivation to give their best, and at the time of the outbreak of the Corona virus and the absence of the fans, the game was affected and became as it was not before, which prompted officials in the major European leagues to use sound systems to give players virtual support.
The former psychiatrist of Al-Ahly club confirmed to “Sky News Arabia” that he witnessed the absence of the fans from the stadiums when he was in Al-Ahly during 2011 and 2012, saying, “I remember well that after the Port Said stadium events and the absence of the fans for security reasons, the players were suffering greatly from the monotony of performance And the level, they used to tell me, “We play matches as if we were in a rehearsal… We don’t feel like ourselves without fans.”
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