Former India international Renedy Singh feels till a vaccine is found for coronavirus, it is not possible for the fans to be allowed in stadiums for matches.
With the fear around coronavirus taking over the world, the football industry has found a way to keep going through the eyes of K-League and Bundesliga but a congregation of people is still unthinkable.
Asked whether football will now be held without fans only, Renedy told The Telegraph, "Till we find a vaccine."
Renedy said he felt bad for the fans but amid the current situation, fans cannot be allowed inside the stadium.
"It's (Bundesliga restart) a courageous move. England, Spain and Italy will be watching the developments in Germany very closely and then decide when to set the ball rolling.
"I feel bad for the fans, but it's a win-win situation for the broadcasters. Just imagine a Calcutta Derby behind closed doors. The situation is such, so how can you allow fans in the stadium?" Renedy said.
India's former star striker Bhaichung Bhutia also feels Bundesliga has hit the right spot even without spectators in the stadium.
"We are obsessed with English Premier League and Spanish League. But on Saturday, within 25 minutes of the kick-off (Borussia Dortmund versus Schalke 04), the inbox was flooded with memes. That means people, starved of live action, were waiting for the restart," Bhaichung said to The Telegraph.
The ISL was able to host the final behind closed doors while the I-League was shut down due to the virus but Bhutia felt had ISL or I-League been running live on TV now, it would have grabbed a huge amount of attention.
"Indian football would have got a boost if ISL or I-League were the only league being played now. Yes, without fans, football is nothing, but at least the world would have been curious about our football.
"I do not think six months down the line it would matter whether we are playing with or without fans," he said.
"If the virus-induced regulations continue and closed-door football becomes the new normal, then soon we will be accustomed to watching matches on television only."
ATK right-back Prabir Das, who played a starring role in their ISL 2019-20-winning campaign, said there was "no fun" without fans and having had the experience of the same in the ISL final, he said he shuddered to think of the environment when ATK-Mohun Bagan play next.
"I played the ISL 6 final in an empty stadium and missed the crowd badly. If closed-door matches become the trend, I shudder to think what would happen when ATK-Mohun Bagan play.
"We are looking forward to a huge number of fans rooting for us. If they are not allowed to enter the stadium, it will be a dampener. I know the safety measures are being taken to keep the virus at bay, but we footballers are nothing without fans," Prabir said.
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