The former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly knew how important sport was to die-hard fans when he jokingly said: "some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude.
I can assure you it is much, much more important than that." But coronavirus has brought football, along with all other sports, to its knees.
At a time when sport never had a bigger potential television audience, there is now nothing to watch. All major events have been cancelled to protect participants and comply with social distancing rules.
Sport itself is a victim of Covid-19, and while recovery may eventually come, it could sustain some long-term damage. "There is no doubt about that and when it comes to modern