Football managers will be better prepared to handle pandemics in future- Kanoute

Former African footballer of the year, Frederic Kanoute, believes major football leagues in the world will be better prepared to handle a pandemic like Covid-19 in the future.

Football, as well as other sporting events, came to a standstill following the coronavirus outbreak, but things are beginning to return to normal after more than three months of a global lockdown. And Kanoute is hopeful about the future of football.

“It wasn’t only football that suffered but it affected life in itself worldwide,” Kanoute, now the LaLiga ambassador, told reporters in a video conference on Monday.

“The world will be more cautious and prepared in case it happens again. But of course, football will remain football and overcome this kind of challenge, as it has in the past.

“We may think in the next month or two, football is going to change without fans in the stadiums. In that perspective, it will change, but I hope it won’t be for long.”

Kanoute, former Tottenham Hotspur striker, believes football authorities will be better prepared in case of another pandemic.

“The approach to combat such things will change in the future with better preparation, plans and through new technologies in place to handle such challenges,” the Mali international pointed out.

The La Liga resumed with a derby clash between Sevilla and Real Betis derby on June 11.

The game is the first of the 110 matches left to play during this campaign with broadcast innovations that include virtual stands, virtual fan audio and new camera angles.

Kanoute believes it is the best possible start to the LaLiga with one of the greatest derbies in the world.

“It is the best derby in the world, at least the best derby I played,” Kanoute said.

“I have played many derbies in London. The passion around a game like this one for Sevilla, I never felt elsewhere.”

“I’m glad LaLiga resumes with a game like this, which for me is exceptional.”

Barcelona are on 58 points and head the LaLiga table by two points from Real Madrid with Sevilla (47) in third.

“It’s very difficult to compete with the top two clubs in the LaLiga,” Kanoute said.

“Real Madrid and Barcelona have big budgets and they have bigger squads and high quality players where they can rotate. So at the end of the season they arrive fresh.”

With a sizeable number of European League titles – nine – in the last 15 years, Kanoute said Spanish clubs were the strongest in the continent.

“The EPL is a very strong league as well,” he added. “Liverpool won the champions league last year and I think it will be a tough competition this year.

“Personally, I love the LaLiga because of the style of football they play. That’s the reason I moved there 15 years ago.

“There is something special about the LaLiga because they emphasise on a style which is a little bit to dominate possession and a little bit more to be technical, and be less straight forward.

“The EPL is also now taking more and more of this type of play where you have to be a little more clever on positioning on the pitch and the possession of the ball as well.”