- The Faroe Islands, a tiny archipelago 400 miles from mainland Europe, started its delayed domestic football season on Saturday, and gave a glimpse at what elite team
sports will look like in thecoronavirus era. - Five matches took place, all in empty stadiums, the highlight of which was B36's victory over reigning Betri League champions KI.
- "It was weird," one player told The Guardian after, while another added: "The difference is massive."
- The Faroe Islands, a Danish territory which has reported just 187 cases of COVID-19 with no deaths, declared itself to be clear of active coronavirus cases on Saturday.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
The Faroe Islands is certainly not the first name that springs to mind when you think of European football.
However, on Saturday afternoon, the tiny archipelago, a Danish territory which is situated about 400 miles from mainland Europe, was at the centre of the continent's attention as it kicked off its season to provide a rare glimpse into sporting life in the time of coronavirus.
Matches, of which there were five in total, were played behind closed doors, with only the players, staff, and handful of media, allowed into stadiums. All were aired on Norwegian broadcaster TV2, which has purchased the rights to show the first 12 rounds of matches live, according to The Times of India.
The highlight of the round was B36 Torshavn's 2-0 victory over reigning Betri League champions KI Klaksvik, courtesy of goals from Sebastian Pingel and Meinhard Olsen.
"It was weird. I didn't know where to run [after I scored]," Pingel told The Guardian afterwards. "First I set off towards the corner flag but suddenly I remembered that there are no fans so I just roared as loud as I could."
"I just tried to concentrate on the game and encourage my teammates like in any other big game. But the difference is massive," said KI's captain, Joannes Bjartalid. "We missed our supporters today. They usually give us an edge and I hope they can come back soon."
Bjartalid may not have to wait long for his wish to come true, with the league set to review its policy on fans attending matches after the completion of the second round, according to FourFourTwo.
The Faroe Islands, which has a population of just over 52,000, declared itself to be clear of active coronavirus cases on Saturday.
187 people had tested positive for COVID-19, however all have now recovered.
—Govt. Faroe Islands (@Tinganes) May 9, 2020
"As a nation, we have achieved what few other countries have managed to do," said a statement on the government website from Prime Minister, Bardur a Steig Nielsen.
"This has been possible because people, families and organisations have been willing to transform their daily lives and take responsibility under very difficult circumstances.
"As a society we should be grateful and proud of what we have accomplished. These past two months have shown what responsibility, solidarity and self-sacrifice really mean."
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