In this file photo from April 23, 2020, a practice match between Incheon United (in blue) and Suwon FC takes place at Incheon Football Stadium in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, while coaches and reserves watch from the stands. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 1 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean professional football clubs are speeding up preparations to begin a first round of crowdless games.
Daejeon Hana Citizen FC, competing in the Korea Professional Football League (K League)’s second division, set out for a second practice match with Cheongju FC on Wednesday at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul.
Since it is the only rehearsal the team will get at its home stadium before the new season opens, Daejeon Hana Citizen showed up extra prepared.
The club collected applications for media coverage in advance to figure out the number of reporters to expect, prevent contact with the players, and designated them to an appropriately spaced seating area.
Every time a reporter, player, or any other staff involved in the game entered the stadium, they were required to have their body temperature checked, and water bottles were prepared in advance for each player.
Players from both teams started to warm up an hour before the game began, but there were no fans watching them at the stadium.
This photo provided by the Korea Professional Football League on April 29, 2020, shows the championship trophy for the K League 1.
Nevertheless, the stadium’s electronic display screened videos of players during off-season training and conducting interviews, just like any other normal game.
Forty minutes before the game, Daejeon Hana Citizen Head Coach Hwang Sun-hong appeared on the screen for a live interview.
Unlike in prior years, the interview was conducted outdoors at a safe distance.
As the game came to a start, the announcer’s voice filled the stadium as he introduced the players.
Whenever the club would score, the electronic display spotlighted the scoring player as the announcer bellowed his name with gusto, just like any other game.
During the second half of the game, fans cheered through amplifying speakers set up across the stadium.
The club made use of sound recorded from past games to create virtual cheers for the game. Advertisement boards were also set up around the field to create a more realistic feel.
“We’ve done everything we can. If there are errors, we will make sure we fix them before the new season starts,” a club source said.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
