London and Emirates Stadium empty for Arsenal-Chelsea derby on Boxing Day

Parking in front of the gates of the Parc des Princes on a competitive night or ten meters from the entrance to the press to Grubama Stadium, without meeting anyone, we had plenty of time and opportunity to access this large and quiet world dimension of epidemics as we approached our large empty stadiums.

But nothing, to be honest, it could have fully prepared us for the reality of Boxing Day on Saturday in London, which was horrible and painful to exaggerate our memories. We do not have to wait until today to find out how the impact of closed doors on the football environment, the lives of the supporters and the atmosphere of the 60,000 – seat stadium was reduced to 300 people, including players, but it is no doubt that we will have to wait this boxing day to realize such a great vertigo. Since boxing day is not a football day, this is a concept.

Supporters of the twenty or more teams playing on the day pass through the city with their club jerseys up and down, perhaps if it is the hat – 10. The city center is lit up by Christmas lights At sunset, i.e. at 1pm, hikers and sales hunters invade, and they begin. A year ago, it was like that, better than that.

There is no sign that a derby is going out

The decision was made late in the face of the new mutation of the virus appearing, and although the streets and restaurants were still open ten days ago, this prison has emptied the ghostly city. Football on TV on December 26, no sales, no tourists, no pedestrians except for those who went out to buy essentials before showing up in front of the essentials. This is not the first time we have lived through the experience of a deserted city in recent months, but Boxing Day is a day that can best provide a level of emptiness.

As the Emirates draw to a close at the end of the day, London is not a sign of derby. Not a street vendor, of course, not a supporter who came to the air of a stadium during a match and lost the scent. But a match, because everything is the same, is the twenty-sixth day of December in this kingdom, which retains little of its appearance and its structure. During the warming, the Emirates sound system played Christmas carols, out of habit, and Andy Williams has sung every year since 1963 This is the most beautiful time of the year. Maybe, but since everything is relative, this year has been hell.