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AFP
Experts from the University of Salzburg found that playing football in front of empty stands is less emotional.
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Experts studied the behavior of football players and employees of “FC Red Bull Salzburg” in the Austrian championship matches with the presence of full stands and in the shadow of “ghost matches” that were held without spectators due to the quarantine.
The pandemic has given psychologists an opportunity to test practical theories about the impact of fans and other related factors on the performance of professional athletes.
Scientists made comparisons between the statistical indicators of football players in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons.
In an article published in the journal Nature, the study authors said: “This is the first study looking at the psychological effects of playing in empty stands on players, team employees and soccer officials.”
In this regard, the total number of emotional situations during matches without spectators decreased by 19.5%, and their duration changed, as the participants showed their emotions in 10 matches with the presence of the audience during a period of 41 minutes and 42 seconds, while this time in matches without spectators was 27 minutes and 9 seconds. Which means that the “ghost matches” were more quiet than usual.
The effect of the absence of spectators on the referees’ work was also recorded, as the referees participated in the 2018/19 season matches in 39.4% of all recorded emotional situations, and in the 2019/20 season their participation was 25.2%.
Since the total number of emotional situations in matches with spectators was significantly higher, it was found that the referees’ participation in such situations in “ghost games” was 48.5% lower.
In matches without spectators, the referees faced less protests by 10.7%, less verbal spats by 9.7% and arguments by 0.7%.
Source: iz.ru
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