Bhaichung Bhutia: The return of live football is a very good change

The footballer-turned-politician maintained that fans would require some time to adjust to watching football being played behind closed doors.

Former India skipper Bhaichung Bhutia believes that football would not suffer much even if it were to be played behind closed doors. In an exclusive chat with IANS, Bhutia compared the sport with cricket and mentioned that the latter would be affected more in the absence of spectators.

His optimism for football stems from the fact that it is an action-packed sport, whereas the duration of a cricket match is much longer. “Because football is an action packed game but cricket may suffer. Football...people won't get bored as it will always be action,” he stated.

Last week, the Bundesliga became the first major football league in Europe to recommence the 2019-20 season post the brief halt due to the COVID-19 crisis. The 43-year-old admitted that he watched the matches broadcast a few days ago. He asserted, “See it does take time to adjust with no spectators around. It was a bit weird but I think with time you will get used to it.”

However, the revered footballer expressed contentment over the fact that at least live football was back after an almost two-month long period. “It was quite boring. At least now we have live matches coming. So, rather than reading only negative things all this while, it is a very good change,” Bhutia mentioned.

India is currently under a government-imposed nationwide lockdown to restrict the further spread of the novel coronavirus. Infact, this is the fourth phase of such a confinement and it will last until May 31, 2020. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs has also lifted reasonable restrictions this time around to ensure a seamless transition to normalcy in the future. Additionally, the Sports Ministry allowed athletes to resume their respective training sessions within sports complexes and stadia.

Bhaichung Bhutia seemed to be in favour of this decision. He observed, “It's a very good step as people can jog and run in the morning. So, it is a healthy way of living and if our immune system and health is strong, you can easily fight COVID-19.” The former Mohun Bagan forward affirmed that health should be of topmost priority presently. “People will have to maintain social distancing. Fitness and a healthy lifestyle is the only way to fight coronavirus,” he concluded.

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