Reduction in stadium capacities, improved ventilation systems and mobile payment for tickets and drinks are some of the measures football clubs may have to implement while designing stadiums in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to enforce social distancing, clubs would need to either develop bigger venues with the same number of seats or reduce the capacity, with the latter the more likely solution, leading to a decline in matchday revenue, the study said. Mark Fenwick, head of Fenwick Iribarren Architects, estimated clubs would reduce stadium capacity significantly to ensure a reasonable level of safety. “It is necessary to see how the reduction of capacity is made, how the spaces where people mix are treated. But I think it is a sustainable and saleable challenge.”

Source: Standard Digital July 07, 2020 12:33 UTC