Coronavirus effect: What is football without fans?

"Of course, the result is important, but the most important things are the fans; the people who feel the club flowing in their blood. You've got to give them the good feeling too." - Johan Cruyff

The year 2019 had almost run its full course, with the cold winds of winter threatening to penetrate jerseys and light snowfall slowly whitening the pitch as football leagues were on in full flow. Racing towards their climaxes, the competitions bustled with the noise of debates between opposition fans, proudly trying to assert the dominance of their respective teams and defending their trying circumstances. If fans were told that the juggernaut would come to a standstill months later, they would have laughed and dismissed it as a joke. The coronavirus pandemic, which was going to pause the flow of time and bring the earth to a halt, was still a distant nightmare.

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And when it became a reality, the fans shuddered. Leagues were postponed and sporting activities were forbidden, for social distancing became a practice of paramount importance. Stadiums wore a barren look, athletes looked at gear in frustration. Fans waited in desperation and lamented the loss. The wait was finally over when the likes of the Bundesliga, the La Liga, the English Premier League and the Serie A - the behemoths of football leagues - declared their resumptions, mostly to fill the drained coffers. Like every good story, however, it also came with a twist. The games, understandably, would be played in empty stadiums. Fans would have to be content cheering their teams from home, with their warmth bouncing off the TV screens.

Once the Bundesliga showed the way by resuming under this new guideline, the much-vaunted ingredient of the game again came to the fore: The presence of fans inside a stadium.

The empty Signal Iduna Park of Borussia Dortmund gives a queer feeling to the viewer. The club boasts one of the most vociferous fan bases in the footballing world, known for blanketing the home ground with waves of bright yellow. The South Stand of the ground with a capacity of 25,000 is famously called Yellow Wall, as a tribute to the frenzied passion, acting as a psychological barrier against the opposition. Their rivals Bayern Munich possess fans known for turning the Allianz Arena into a battleground. The fervent cheering of the White Army or Madridistas of Real Madrid reverberates in the Santiago Bernabéu, the Catalans throng Camp Nou out of their love for Barcelona and the Red Army of Manchester United was instrumental in the club's rise after the Munich air disaster. They have all demonstrated the strength of fans in dragging teams up from the pit of dejection and providing them with courage and determination in the hours of need.

Fans have always painted the game in their way. They have shaped and reshaped its history, led to the birth and demise of dominations, acted as a guiding light and a stinging critic. What has always stood out is their unwavering loyalty and support, refusing to abandon their team even when the odds are heavily stacked against them. Much like the famous anthem of Liverpool, 'You Will Never Walk Alone', they have traversed the hazardous paths out of love.

Fans have their share of fabled notoriety, of course, time and again proving to be a double-edged sword. When Brazil lost the 1950 World Cup final against Uruguay in Maracanã, their goalkeeper Moacir Barbosa Nascimento was shunned by the public and was berated till the last day of his life for conceding Ghiggia's winning goal. The Heysel Stadium disaster of 1985 that occurred just before the kick-off of the 1985 European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus led to the deaths of 39 people and injuries to 600. In the aftermath, English clubs were banned from European competitions for five years, and Liverpool, who were mostly blamed for the disaster, served the exile a year more than their compatriots.

Despite the glaring flaws, fans have always injected the necessary whirlwind of emotions that makes the game beautiful, which helps it to move forward, like a gush of wind inspiring a lifeless sail. Their laughter and anger, the creative graffiti and banners make the kaleidoscope complete and unfurl the hidden charm. It can be argued that to a curious mind, football in an empty stadium will draw out some unexplored sides of the game's flow: the sound of feet pounding the ball, managers shouting instructions from the sidelines, players communicating with each other, things that otherwise get drowned in the cacophony. Then again, such things can be found in practice grounds as well.

Who will the players celebrate with after a win, who will they turn to after every goal? Who will fill the stadiums with the sound of applause, if not the fans?