Virologist suggests football could return with masks

A Belgian virologist has proposed a different view of how football could return in the near future.

COVID-19’s impact on the game has been felt all over the world as football and other sports have been forced to stop, leaving governing bodies scrambling in attempts to find a safe way to see it make a comeback.

Marc Van Ranst, an adviser to the Belgian government, has suggested that matches could be played with players wearing masks.

“You’ll have to take the use of masks in football into consideration,” Van Ranst said.

“I’m obviously not talking about surgical masks, they’d be totally inappropriate.

“But on the internet you see anti-pollution masks that can be used by American football players and cyclists which are more comfortable.”

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Belgium’s professional football leagues stopped on March 7 and there is a proposal on the table to cancel the season now as things stand.

That proposal will go to a vote on April 24.