Social distancing goes for a toss as football fans get excited!

05 June,2020 07:03 AM IST |  Budapest  |  Agencies

Starved of football for months, excitement gets the better of the limited number of fans allowed to enter stadium for Hungarian Cup final as...

Budapest Honved celebrate their win against Mezokovesd Zsory in the Hungarian Cup final on Wednesday. Pic:AP/PTI


Budapest Honved players celebrated winning the Hungarian Cup final in front of a mass of fans who were not following social distancing. Djordje Kamber, who clinched a 2-1 victory over Mezokovesd-Zsory, was seen with a megaphone leading the celebrations at the front of one stand at the Puskas Ferenc Arena. Mezokovesd-Zsory supporters were also seen close together behind a goal post during the game.

Football in Hungary resumed last month after being suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Match organisers in Hungary are obliged to keep three seats empty between each occupied seat and no fan is allowed to sit directly behind or in front of another. Players and essential personnel on or near the field during matches must recently have tested negative for the Coronavirus. Stipulated temperature checks outside the stadium and compulsory wearing of masks were some rules put in place, but many fans quickly forgot about the regulations once inside the stadium, according to several reports. Some clubs reportedly barred older fans from entering the stadium.

Approximately, 10,000 fans were allowed into the 65,000-seater Puskás Arena, according to a report in The Guardian. "Hardcore fans ignored their ticket numbers to gather behind the two goals. At the whistle, hundreds of Honved fans jumped and cheered in close proximity, in scenes that may prove controversial if there is any spike in the country's Coronavirus case numbers in coming weeks," the report stated.

A fan, Márton Réti was quoted as saying by The Guardian: "Even though only one eighth of the stadium was full, the atmosphere was brilliant. I've never been served a beer in a big stadium so quickly before."

Hungary has 3,954 confirmed Coronavirus cases as on Thursday. A total of 539 deaths have been reported in the country after contracting the virus. Germany has resumed the Bundesliga without fans. Games in England, Spain and Italy will also be closed to supporters.

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