COVID-19 has certainly made its impact on the world. The sheer scale of this virus and its ability to cripple an entire planet has put huge emphasis on just how fragile our society can be at times. We are a cunning species and will endure this tirade, but one thing’s for sure; this will change how we live and operate.
The numbers are obviously staggering with patients ticking over into the millions globally at this stage. Hundreds of thousands of lives will be lost and the economic damage will be the worst this planet has ever seen, taking many years to fully bounce back. It’s our generations nuclear bomb and it certainly is a doozy.
But apocalyptic doom aside, how this virus has affected our daily life is what was never predicted. Invading our hobbies and pastimes with no regard for our sanity and boredom. By that we mean our beloved sports and the catastrophic damage caused to Portugal’s way of life via the sudden loss of the Primeira Liga.
The sporting year to forget
When the BBC reported the suspension of the MLS, Eredivisie, La Liga and Primeira Liga on 12 March, most football fans were understanding albeit annoyed. Their life was on hold and all at the mercy of a pesky flu. No doubt 99% were hanging on to the premise of a 14-day break before normality and common sense prevailed. Fast forward three weeks and the likelihood of any football occurring in the remainder of 2020 is bleak at best. Yes, the powers at be are still scrambling to keep all their balls in the air but the health and wellbeing of the people will always come before football, right?
The problem is that all sports teams depend on one major thing for their income: television. Without broadcasting rights to fill their sacks, the money soon dries up and the sheer volume of people that contribute to our clubs’ operations is mindboggling. Keeping a club operating when no games are being played is like putting a band aid on David Beckham’s foot in 2002. And this one will take a lot more than a country praying.
Globally, bankruptcy is looming around every corner of the pitch with smaller clubs the first in the firing line. USA Rugby has seen the first casualty after filing for bankruptcy, albeit after qualifying for the 2020 Olympics. This is sure to be the first of many sporting casualties around the world. So how do things look for Portugal and its national sport?
The heart of the Portuguese
Football in Portugal ranks only second behind Christianity in terms of religion and this small country is going to be hit hard. With the catastrophe that is hitting their neighbours right now, one can only assume they will not be spared the same fate. At the time of writing, 409 souls have succumbed in Portugal but in relative terms the nation so far has been far more fortunate than others. Not so the bank balance of the Primeira Liga. Joaquim Evangelista, head of the Portuguese professional footballers’ union, has hinted that his players could be the next national side to offer up a wage cut to do what’s best for the sport.
Portugal itself is by no means hanging back when it comes to the fight on COVID-19. The government has this week granted all migrants and asylum seekers full citizenship rights to ensure everyone has the same access to hospital treatment. Its leading by example and has always been something that their national team captain has aspired to do. Ronaldo pledging this week to do his bit to fight this horrible virus.
Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal’s son
Being named World’s Best Player five times, holding the record for most goals scored in the UEFA Champions League and cementing his name in footballing history hasn’t been enough for him. Off the field, his charitable donations are just as impressive, having been named 2015’s World’s Most Charitable Person. His £5 million donation to Nepal after the earthquake one of many lump sum payments across the globe.
And his charity hasn’t stopped after this week pledging to help his agent, Jorge Mendes, in the fight against COVID-19. Mendes had already spent a small fortune on 200,000 gowns and three ventilators for the National Institute of Medical Emergency in Porto. Now, with the superstar’s assistance, additional funding is being pumped into hospitals around Portugal, including two new intensive care wings being built in north Lisbon, each with a capacity of 10 beds.
Granted, the stars income of around £28 million a season with Juventus does abide him quite the charitable reach. But take nothing away from the man who is currently also dealing with the illness of his mother. After she suffered a stroke in early March, Ronaldo left the Juventus camp to be by her side, staying in Madeira whilst Italy battles with its own catastrophe.
Hopefully, other stars will follow suit as news of Barcelona’s players agreeing to a 30% pay cut made headlines this week. It’s unfortunately going to come down to players reaching into their own incredibly deep pockets to ensure the survival of many in the sport that got them there.
COVID-19’s curse on new betting sites
With the demise of sport, the knock-on effect spells a further catastrophe for the gambling world. Sports betting companies are set to have their worst year to date, with huge redundancies on the cards for most. At present, almost no sporting events are being played anywhere on the globe and nothing set in stone for the near future, either. For an industry that was absolutely booming at the beginning of 2020, this will be a huge shock to the system.
But like our footballing heroes who will have to adapt in order to survive, so must sports betting. One prediction of esports taking up the vast majority of the sports betting sector certainly has some weight to it. Punters that feel the need to bet for the rush will certainly find their fill online with the likes of CS:SO making huge waves this year.
That scenario would allow new betting sites – more vulnerable to the current situation than established bookies – to at least weather the storm. If anything, the latest gambling sites put more emphasis on esports and virtual sports compared to their older competitors. Sports bettors will find trustworthy new betting sites easily by using a reliable review site to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Is 2020 destined to be a write-off?
This virus is not like anything we have seen in the modern age and predicting when this storm will pass would earn you brilliant odds at the bookies. But adapting to it and ensuring that we put the greater good ahead of our own needs will see us through. Portuguese football will need to do the same to ensure it too doesn’t fall down the bankruptcy path and leading by example is that first step.
Pay cuts from the players first and management second should pave the way for some stability for the smaller clubs. Hundreds of positions behind the scenes are required to make a club tick, the majority of whom will find it hard to put food on the table let alone purchase that new villa. There are enough funds around to see us through. We only hope the powers that be and the players at the top remember how they got up there before that ladder falls.
