Football games on Monday nights is an increasingly common occurrence across European leagues as television companies look to maximise their advertising opportunities. In Spain, this is a move fans are deeply unhappy with.
Tonight's La Liga clash of Alavés and Levante kicked off at 9pm local time. Games are often scheduled for late at night or early in the morning so they do not clash and thus maximise TV audiences. Yet attending fans are frustrated at how this impacts them and tonight, Alavés fans made their feelings clear.
For the first five minutes, the home stand was left empty while Alavés waited outside. When they did enter, they were dressed in all black and carried banners which read 'RIP football.'
✋ FANS DRIVE A POINT HOME ✋
Two pics by @AlexandraJonson show @Alaves fans' protest due to scheduling games on Mondays:
1) Stadium empty. People waiting at the door and will come inside in the 5th minute 🕛
2) Fans, a la Game of Thrones, wearing black! 🖤#LLL
🧡🇪🇸⚽️ pic.twitter.com/1bZIeebeR0— La Liga Lowdown 🧡🇪🇸⚽️ (@LaLigaLowdown) February 11, 2019
Alaves fans tonight dressed in black and with mobile phones alight, all part of a 'mock funeral' for the death of the soul of modern football.pic.twitter.com/yVi16Crvjo
— Paul Reidy (@paulreidy67) February 11, 2019
This is not the first protest of this kind, although fans did escalate the situation by carrying around a mock coffin.
⚰ CASKET CASE ⚰
Yes, it's happening.
Alavés fans are carrying around a casket as a symbol of the Death of Football.
Now... this escalated quickly
? @alavestequiero2 #LLL
???⚽️pic.twitter.com/YXPB4mhwZH— La Liga Lowdown ???⚽️ (@LaLigaLowdown) February 11, 2019
Alaves last protest carried the message ‘turn off the TV, save football’ and it is clear their discontent at the situation has not diminished.
