FOOTBALL – The Ministry of Health and the autonomous regions have made joint agreements about restrictions for the public in football stadiums and other professional competitive sports. Supporters are welcome but must abide by the rules and audience capacity.
The Spanish premier league La Liga kicks off August 13 with 40% of the maximum audience capacity. Supporters are obliged to wear a mask and eating and drinking in the stands is prohibited. When admitting the limited visitor capacity, season ticket holders and home supporters are given priority. This is in order to limit mobility between cities.
30% in indoor basketball stadiums
With the exception of the Basque Country, all autonomous regions have agreed to the new limits of stadium occupancy. A maximum audience capacity of 30% applies to the indoor stadiums of the ACB basketball competition. Likewise, wearing a face mask is mandatory and eating and drinking (with the exception of self-brought water) are prohibited. In addition, one and a half metres social distance must be maintained. Furthermore, smoking is not allowed inside or outside, including electric smoking products.
Rules apply until September 5th
The agreements are valid until 5 September, after which the situation will be reassessed. The Ministry of Health of Navarra has said it will maintain not the agreed 40, but 33% of the capacity for El Sadar stadium in Pamplona. Home club of this stadium Club Atlético Osasuna agrees with the decision of the regional board. Moreover, only season ticket holders are welcome here during the matches, all training sessions take place without an audience.
Limited audience capacity due to fifth wave
At the end of June, it was decided in an extra Council of Ministers that control over the audience capacity in the stadiums of the Liga and ACB would again be assigned to the regional authorities. This had previously been transferred to the Supreme Sports Council, which would decide on stadium rules depending on the epidemiological course per region. Minister Darias decided in June to go back to ‘normal’ and apply uniform rules for all stadiums in Spain. At that time, the incidence in Spain was still around 90 (per 100 thousand inhabitants). When this increased sharply in a short period of time, the Interterritorial Council decided to take the necessary measures at the start of the competition, as described above.
