Football
ESPN 4y

Coronavirus: Danish club plans drive-in football after lockdown

Danish club FC Midtjylland may have found a solution to have fans present at football matches after the coronavirus shutdown: drive-in football.

The Danish Super League leaders announced plans on Friday that will allow around 2,000 cars to park around their stadium and watch matches from two big screens, with the possibility of 10,000 fans present. The club said it hopes to duplicate the audio from the TV commentary and make it available in cars through a specified frequency.

A club spokesperson told ESPN that it would be possible for the drive-in football events to be scaled up to a maximum of 12,000 cars.

- Stream new episodes of ESPN FC Monday-Friday on ESPN+
- Stream every episode of 30 for 30: Soccer Stories on ESPN+

"The empty stands should not separate us when the 3F Super League and our pursuit of the gold resume," the club said in a statement. "We therefore invite LIVE drive-in football at MCH Arena."

Football in Denmark has been suspended indefinitely, along with the vast majority of European football leagues.

Midtjylland marketing and support director Preben Rokkjaer said: "In the coming time when we unfortunately have to play the Super League without spectators, we are working hard to create the best possible experience.

"[Drive-in football] will go a long way to giving something back to the region and our many loyal fans.

"We have a stated goal of creating the best stadium experience and coronavirus doesn't change that, it just provides some other preconditions. We are in close dialogue with the police, the Herning Municipality and MCH to create a safe framework and security for everyone."

Other European football clubs have been looking for a solution to boost match-day atmospheres when play resumes. Last week, Belarussian side FC Dynamo Brest filled their stands with mannequins sporting cut-out portraits of fans.

^ Back to Top ^