SIt is popularly said that tillstand is a step backwards. A motto that seems to be true again, especially during the corona pandemic. After all, a large part of public life rests. The effects are devastating for sport and, above all, for athletes: empty halls and abandoned facilities shape the picture. Many who otherwise brave the cold and chase a ball are now sitting on the couch.
Because the round leather only rolls virtually. “It accelerated the processes for us. Certainly it would have taken another one or two years until we had played our first online tournament had it not been for this compulsory break, ”says Sascha Timmas, advisor for social media at the Hessian Football Association (HFV). He is responsible for organizing the nationwide “Stay At Home Again Cup 2020”, which started over the weekend. As the name suggests, there was already a tournament during the first lockdown in which small teams played the soccer simulator “Fifa” against each other from home on the game console.
“E-football” is the name of the HFV. Timmas prefers not to talk about sport on the phone. “This is a fundamental decision that is more likely to be discussed at the German Olympic Sports Confederation.” It was important for him and his colleagues in the association that there was a high demand from active footballers. Right now, gambling against the dreariness of everyday corona is very popular. The effort for the association is low, the return is relatively high: the organization of individual games is largely in the hands of the 208 participating teams, who can qualify for the DFB-E-Cup through the tournament.
Movement in e-football
The HFV only checks whether the players who have been registered for a team actually play there in the club and maintains the game plans. On the other hand, the association remains present in these difficult times. “We were almost forced to offer something. The aim was also that the Hessian Football Association should not only be in the headlines because another game could not take place, ”says Timmas.
Because of standstill: Corona has at least brought movement to the topic of “e-football”. A working group had been dealing with paddling at the console for a long time and came to the conclusion that “e-football” should be pursued as an association. “Due to the success story of the first tournament, we will certainly stick with it,” says Timmas. The AG will probably overflow into a commission. With this step, the HFV wants to bundle forces, create structures and drive the matter forward. Other associations, such as Lower Saxony and Bavaria, are already further than the Hessians, but they have recognized the potential. “We don’t want to let the topic be stolen from us either. As long as this field has not yet been tilled, we want to get our foot in the door before e-football ends up with another big player, ”says Timmas.