Football has taken a massive toll due to the coronavirus crisis, and judging by a recent report, Liga MX took one hell of a dig last weekend considering only one game that was played behind closed doors.
The rivalry between Mexican football giants América and Cruz Azul is widely regarded as one of the most intense in the Mexican top-flight, and Liga MX's decision to play it without attendance represented a massive loss for the teams, stadium and everyone involved with this clash.
According to TUDN journalist Francisco Javier González, the game also known as the "Clásico Joven" caused Mexico's football industry to lose over $450M pesos after this game was played behind closed doors. Converted to dollars, it represents a bit over $19M.
Ticket revenue for this game was supposed to see Azteca Stadium collecting over $4M, but the real blow came for those who sell food and drinks inside the venue, since there was an approximate loss of $8M due to this concept.
Sources consulted by Grupo Reforma state that food vendors close to Azteca Stadium also took a hit, since this game would have seen them earn between $10,000 and $12,000 pesos ($520 dollars). There are over 200 food stands in Estadio Azteca's surroundings, which would bring that number to over $104,000 dollars.
Other concepts such as jersey sales, parking costs and other sources of income failed to earn over $5M, which makes us wonder how the rest of the teams in the Mexican top-flight will be able to cope with such losses.
As of now, the Mexican league has been brought to a halt until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic. Games were played behind closed doors on Saturday and Sunday, but given the numbers mentioned above, it comes as no surprise that Liga MX owners decided to stop all activity in order to prevent further monetary losses.
