Notes: Soccer in the year of COVID-19

MARCA COVID-19 jersey

We are all struggling to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, as lives are lost and normalcy is completely disrupted. If you have been affected, I hope that you recover from your grief and trauma. If you are sheltering in place like I am, then I hope that holding onto something you enjoy gives you some respite from the world’s troubles. May this website be a small diversion for you.

Only addressing the soccer perspective, it’s been shocking to see how quickly the soccer universe and its economy are being affected. Of course, one of the side effects of coronavirus has been the cancellation of all levels of games around the world. Not only are stadiums closed, but without games, there is little for podcasters to talk about or media to write about. Tickets and merchandise can’t be sold. Travel, hotels, and restaurants all curtailed. Without 3-6 months of revenue, teams may fail. People in all areas of soccer will be laid off. 

After the decades of watching dystopian movies, it is weird to be living in one, albeit without the zombies and the warfare (so far, anyway).

So after all this is over, after thousands (millions?) of healthcare workers, scientists, public health officials, and caregivers toil and sacrifice to save other people’s lives… I hope we will all feel united, that we came through this together. On a much smaller scale, that’s really what sports is about.

We are in the Game of Our Lives, and may all of you triumph.

Good luck and God bless you

-mj lee, @soccermoviemom