ZURICH (Reuters) - The policy of playing soccer matches without spectators as a way of keeping the show on the road during the coronavirus outbreak has been widely questioned on health grounds and because of the surreal atmosphere it creates in empty stadiums.
The next round of games in the top flight of the French, Spanish and Portuguese leagues will be played without fans as will some Bundesliga matches. There have also been matches behind closed doors in the Champions League and Europa League.
"From our point of view, ghost games are always the last resort to ensure competition security," said Christian Ebenbauer, chairman of the Austrian Bundesliga, using a German-language term for games in empty stadiums. "Professional footballers, like other workers, are concerned about themselves and their families and friends being exposed to the coronavirus during their daily lives," it said in a statement.
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