It's been a long time since the soccer world has seen action from the European top five leagues, but it has been delighted anyways with plenty of Euros, Copa America, and Gold Cup matches. With the international break already over, fans are eager for the return of the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 in 2021-2022. Besides, they're looking forward to being welcomed back into stadiums.
The pandemic outbreak has prevented supporters from watching their teams in person for a long time, but over the last few months, the biggest stages have slowly begun to receive soccer enthusiasts again. The 2020/21 Champions League Final, the Euro 2020 decider, and some league fixtures have already been played with limited attendance.
But the outlook seems brighter now, vaccination campaigns have advanced, and there is growing optimism for a safe return of crowds to sporting events. With the 2021/22 season of the European top five leagues just around the corner, let's take a look at how many fans could attend their games.
Ligue 1
The French top-flight is ready to allow full crowds for the beginning of the 2021/22 season. Asides from providing a ticket to the game and their IDs, attendees will be required a health passport, which consists of either a full vaccination proof, an antigen test, or a positive PCR of at least 11 days older and less than six months old. The Ligue 1 will kick off on Friday, August 6, when Monaco host Nantes.
Bundesliga
The German first division will also open the doors for fans after a long time. The government has confirmed that up to 25,000 fans will be allowed in each of the 2021/22 Bundesliga games, except for Bayern Munich's home games at Allianz Arena, where the attendance won't exceed 20,000 spectators amid Covid-19 Delta variant concerns. The league will begin on Friday, August 13, with Borussia Monchengladbach taking on reigning champs Bayern.
Premier League
The English top tier will return with great news for soccer fans: full crowds will be welcomed back again. The British government had already allowed supporters in the midpoint of the 2020/21 season but had to move backward when the Covid cases spiked, but by the end of the season, stadiums opened at a maximum of 10,000 attendees or 25% of capacity.
For the 2021/22 Premier League, however, attendance restrictions were lifted and teams will be allowed to open their stadiums at full capacity for the first time since March 2020. The new season will kick off on Friday, August 13, with newly-promoted Brentford hosting Arsenal.
La Liga
The Spanish top-flight will be also receiving fans into the stadiums for the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign. Spain's health minister, Carolina Darias, announced relaxations for attendance at all open sporting events.
Therefore, the 2021-2022 La Liga season will begin with stadiums at 40% of capacity in the first weeks. The tournament will begin on Friday, August 13, and this measure will run at least until Sunday, Aug. 29. Valencia and Getafe are scheduled to face off in the opening game of the tournament.
Serie A
As we've seen, soccer fans are ready to return to stadiums in Europe, and Italian soccer's top competition won't be the exception. Up to 25% of capacity will be allowed in all stadiums across the country for the beginning of the 2021/22 Serie A. As long as the health situation improves, the number of spectators might increase.
