Sports in Europe adjust to new reality

Huge losses incurred

Despite the introduction of stringent testing and unprecedented safety measures, sports in Europe and worldwide clearly still face huge repercussions from the pandemic.

Sports federations and event organizers have been severely affected by lockdowns, while cancelations have resulted in huge economic losses.

Dan Parnell, senior lecturer in sport business at the University of Liverpool Management School in the UK, makes key notes on sports and the pandemic in an article titled "COVID-19, Networks and Sport". The notes appear in the journal Managing Sport and Leisure, and the article is shared online.

"The networked nature of the global sport industry and its associated events program, which brings together athletes, employees and fans, only serves to heighten the potential threat of a sustained global spread (of the pandemic)," according to Parnell, who has a doctorate in his field.

He cited a 2015 World Health Organization publication that warned of global pandemics presenting "challenges that cut to the very core of our processes and decision-making for political, economic and social institutions, with no stronger example than mass gatherings and sporting events".

Parnell added, "Human beings are inherently social, and gatherings are symbolic, embodied, loaded with cultural meanings."

He cited the Euro 2020 soccer tournament－among the major sports events originally planned for this summer that have been postponed until next year.

"Euro 2020 was uniquely designed. It demonstrated the cultural togetherness and fluidity of the eurozone, spanning 12 countries to mark 60 years of competition," he said. "The tournament also celebrates the network society of modern Europe and the virtues of the European Union－especially of movement."

This collaborative approach has been welcomed by economics scholars and commentators, who in the past have provided evidence pointing toward poor investment returns associated with hosting major sports events. This new multicity approach will reduce the financial risk and poor return on investment for the selected host, Parnell said.

"Yet, it is this networked strength that has proven Euro 2020's Achilles heel," he concluded.