IT’S safe to say 2020 was a football year like no other in living memory.
We have had individual leagues suspended due to national disasters before, such as Japan’s J1 league after the earthquake and consequent tsunami that shocked the nation, but never a situation that affected so much of the world at the same time.
Within Europe, Italy was the first nation to suspend football, with other countries soon taking action, often playing in empty stadiums before bringing their season to a grinding halt (the only European country not to take note was Belarus, whose league carried on as if nothing had happened).
Of what are considered the six most important leagues on the continent, two - the French and Dutch - would not resume.
In France, PSG, with a 12-point lead plus a game in hand, were crowned champions for the seventh time in the last eight seasons.
In Holland, where there was a much tighter race, they decided not to declare a title winner but did use the positions at the time of the stoppage to decide who would be playing in the European competitions for the 2020-21 season. Slowly the other major leagues came back. First of all, the German Bundesliga in May, followed in June by Spain’s La Liga, the English Premier League and eventually Serie A of Italy, all four of which would be played to a finish.
One of the things I hope football has learned from this strangest of years is how much fans are needed, not only for the atmosphere for those lucky enough to be in the stadium but also for those perched on their settees at home watching on television.
This story is from the April - May 2021 edition of Late Tackle Football Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April - May 2021 edition of Late Tackle Football Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
PASSING THE BATON
NOTTS COUNTY FAN IAN KIRKE REFLECTS ON AN UNFORGETTABLE DAY AT MEADOW LANE...
CHEEKY CHARLIE
TOM GREEN LOOKS AT THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CHARLIE MITTEN, WHO WENT FROM BURMA TO BOGOTA VIA OLD TRAFFORD
HAPPY WITH OUR LOT
WATFORD FAN JONNY BRICK IS QUITE CONTENT WITH HIS TEAM NEVER GOING UP AND NEVER GOING DOWN...
LIFE AFTER THE CUP HEROICS
BEN SMITH LOOKS AT THE REALITY FOR MAIDSTONE UNITED FOLLOWING THEIR STINT IN THE SPOTLIGHT...
JAMES RODRIGUEZ TEN YEARS ON
DANIEL MOFFAT LOOKS AT THE CAREER OF THE COLOMBIA STAR
AND SMITH DOES SCORE
BARNABY ROSTANT LOOKS AT THE CAREER OF EVERGREEN CENTRE-FORWARD MATT SMITH..
JUST HOW DO YOU REPLACE JURGEN KLOPP?
ROBERT J WILSON ON THE CHALLENGE AHEAD FOR LIVERPOOL AS THEIR INSPIRATIONAL GERMAN BOSS PREPARES TO WALK AWAY...
FIGHT TO THE FINISH
JOHN LYONS LOOKS AT HOW THE PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE RACE IS SHAPING UP AS WE APPROACH SQUEAKY-BUM TIME..
GIANT-KILLING CANARIES
SAM TODD RECALLS WHEN NORWICH CITY ENJOYED A SENSATIONAL FA CUP RUN 65 YEARS AGO...
HOWARD'S WAY
LIFELONG BIRMINGHAM CITY SUPPORTER KEITH DIXON RECALLS WHEN HOWARD KENDALL HELPED SAVE THE BLUES FROM RELEGATION HALF A CENTURY AGO...