[SIRI=이수영 기자] In the early morning of the 15th (Korean time), a spectator broke into the stadium in the 32nd minute of the match between Manchester United and the Young Boys in the first leg of the 21-22 UEFA Champions League Group F match.
Taking advantage of Manchester United’s free kick situation, the crowd appeared with an unknown white object and after about 10 seconds of escaping, they were caught by security guards.
But there was one interesting thing. After that, the relay camera did not show the intruding spectators even once, but only the players trying to prepare for a free kick again. About 30 seconds later, the camera captured the entire stadium, and the intruder was no longer visible on the screen.
This kind of relay is seen quite often in recent soccer matches. In the last Euro 2020 final match between England and Italy, in the 41st minute of the second half, a fan broke into the stadium without his shirt off, but the broadcast screen immediately reflected the players. And after about a minute, the game proceeded normally. Of course, even at this time, when the screen was changed to the entire stadium, it was no longer possible to check the appearance of the intruding spectators.
So, why doesn’t the camera focus on the spectators when they break into the stadium? If you think that crowd intrusion is also an interesting aspect of the game, you may be a bit puzzled.
In fact, it wasn’t long before the relay cameras started not showing the intruding spectators. Just seven years ago, if you look back at the match between Real Madrid and FC Basel in the 14-15 UEFA Champions League group stage, when two spectators broke into the stadium in the 44th minute of the second half, the broadcast screen magnified the intruding spectators. As a result, the spectators filming the stadium with their cameras in hand provided their own (?) interest to soccer fans around the world who were watching the game on TV.
Intrusion of spectators at sports venues is usually done commercially or as a means of promoting a message. A typical example is the woman in a swimsuit who broke into the 18-19 UEFA Champions League final match between Tottenham and Liverpool. After the game, who turned out to be Russian adult video star Kinsey Volansky, she broke into the arena in a swimsuit engraved on her chest by an adult site he runs to promote her boyfriend’s business.
He was caught by the security guards in an instant and left the stadium, but immediately after the match, the number of Instagram followers soared from 300,000 to 3 million, resulting in a huge publicity effect. It was a meticulous and planned crime, such as preparing an interview or video in advance, and writing the contact information for the business advertisement on his profile after breaking in.
However, it is very dangerous for spectators to enter the stadium. It is a criminal act that can even threaten the lives of players, and due to intrusion of spectators, the flow of the game is interrupted and delayed, damaging not only the players but also countless football fans around the world watching the game. Moreover, it is a huge disrespect to advertisers who have invested and sponsored an astronomical amount to promote their company through the competitions and matches.
Caster Bae Seong-jae, who was broadcasting the Euro 2020 final, left a witty but impactful criticism, saying, “On a stage like the final of a big tournament like this, the spectators will appear.”
In the wake of this influence, recent sports broadcasts do not capture the screen of intruding spectators at all, judging that the camera’s projection of the intruding spectators can encourage and stimulate similar actions to others. It blocks the promotional effect they can get from commercial or some messages in the first place. Instead, it illuminates players, coaches and the general crowd while spectators are out of the field.
- Player injuries and relay cameras
Spectator intrusion is not the only cultural change in sports broadcasting. Even with the horrific injuries of the players, the recent relay cameras tend not to show them as much as possible.
It will be easier to understand if you recall the match between Denmark and Finland in the first round of Group B of the Euro 2020 qualifier held in June.
In the match, in the 42nd minute of the first half, Eriksen, who was running to receive a throw-in from a teammate, collapsed without any external shock. It was caused by an acute heart attack. However, what stood out in such a shocking situation was the swift action of the players. The players immediately called the medical staff, and captain Simon Kier took direct measures to prevent Eriksen’s tongue from getting caught.
However, what was most impressive was their actions, protecting Eriksen in a circle around him in order to prevent the image of Eriksen being healed from being exposed to the audience and the broadcast. They stood by Eriksen while he was leaving the pitch, protecting Eriksen’s privacy. In particular, the fact that Eriksen was protected with a large flag thrown by a Finnish fan produced a touching scene where everyone became one through soccer.
What is noteworthy is that the broadcast screen did not broadcast Eriksen’s specific treatment process. For example, German broadcaster ZDF took a quick response, such as turning the broadcast screen back to the studio when Eriksen suddenly passed out.
In contrast, there are broadcasters who have been criticized by many soccer fans. The UK’s leading public broadcaster, the BBC. The BBC caused controversy by capturing almost every scene of the stadium, including Eriksen’s fainting, first aid, and his wife crying in shock.
Afterwards, Liverpool’s Robertson posted a picture of the players protecting Eriksen around him on his social media account and said, “This is the only scene that had to be shared.” In response to criticism from numerous footballers, BBC commentator Lineker apologized, “I know you are angry with our inexperienced screen control ability.” could not control this. We wish Eriksen a speedy recovery. We apologize to those who may have been offended by our actions.”
tvN, which won the Euro 2020 exclusive broadcasting rights in Korea, also conducted a somewhat disappointing broadcast with Eriksen’s first aid and transport scenes, but since then, it has been edited and deleted from the match highlights and full replay content on its site. is not After that, the response is likely to be applauded.
- The right to know, or the slightest bit of humanity?
On the other hand, looking at the recent broadcast trend that tries not to capture the intrusion of spectators or injuries of players on camera during the game, it may be questioned whether such an act is actually infringing on the ‘right to know’ of viewers. This is because professional sports are a kind of entertainment business that provides entertainment to the public.
However, at least when it comes to player injuries, this question should be avoided. Because someone’s emergency shouldn’t be of interest to someone else. In fact, it is rare to find a person who demands the viewer’s right to know even in the scene of a player injury. It can be expressed as a kind of ‘right to know of a relative concept inherent in being human’.
A recent sports broadcasting trend that tries not to broadcast provocative scenes as much as possible. I hope that the efforts of these broadcasting stations will exert a good influence in creating a more desirable sports culture.
Reporter Lee Soo-young (dnsall123@gmail.com)
[2021.09.17. 사진=UEFA 공식 홈페이지, PL 공식 홈페이지, 로버트슨 공식 SNS]
