1st June, 2020
Leicester City will hold practice matches at an empty King Power Stadium to prepare their players for games without fans when the Premier League resumes this month, manager Brendan Rodgers said.
The English top-flight, which has been suspended since March 13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will resume on June 17 with all matches to be played behind closed doors.
“We will have some practice games in our own stadium before we play.
“We will play at the King Power, so they will feel and get a sense of that,’’ Rodgers told British media.
The Premier League is exploring the use of audio effects and computer-generated ‘fans’ to improve the viewer experience of watching behind closed doors games but Rodgers said the game would not be the same without fans.
“It’s absolutely not; it can’t be.
“However, it’s what we have to do.
“The intensity and commitment of players will still be there.
“We did love our supporters to be there but there won’t be any.
“We will have a cause we will be fighting for.
“They may not be with us in the stadium but there will be millions of people watching, thousands of Leicester supporters around the world… we have a duty for them to do the best we can,’’ Rodgers said.
Leicester is third in the league on 53 points, four behind second-placed Manchester City, who has played a game less.