FC Seoul Apologizes for Sex Dolls Appearing in Place of Fans amid COVID-19

FC Seoul wanted to simulate fans in the stands despite the team playing in an empty stadium Sunday amid the coronavirus pandemic, but the choice of mannequins raised some concerns.

The club appeared to use sex dolls dressed as team supporters during the 1-0 win over Gwangju FC:

"We would like to apologise to the fans," FC Seoul said in a statement released on social media Sunday, translated by John Duerden of ESPN.

"We are very sorry about the supporting mannequins that were placed during the game on May 17. These mannequins may have been made to look and feel like real humans but they are not for sexual use—as confirmed by the manufacturer from the beginning.

"Our intention was to do something lighthearted in these difficult times. We will think hard about what we need to do to ensure that something like this never happens again."

Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League notably played with cardboard cutouts as a replacement for fans, a move that was replicated by several European soccer teams.