Sport also trembles at Omikron. The return of the ghost games could be decided on Tuesday, the lockdown threatens.
The Bundesliga is desperately boosting against the fifth wave, indoor sport is shaking, but the return of the ghost games is becoming more and more likely: The highly contagious Corona variant Omikron could paralyze not only society, but also the already badly ailing professional sport to an unimaginable degree. Looking into the chaos of the US leagues or England in the Premier League is probably only looking through a window into the immediate future.
In all likelihood, politicians will decide again on ghost games on Tuesday. In the draft resolution for the federal-state meeting it is stated that “supraregional sports, cultural and comparable major events” should take place without spectators from December 28th. For many financially troubled clubs that would be the worst case scenario. Most recently, stadiums and halls in some federal states were allowed to be at least partially occupied.
Hans-Joachim Watzke had previously warned against a “symbolic policy”. “As an open-air event with already significantly reduced audience capacities, professional football in Germany has a proven, coherent concept,” said the managing director of Borussia Dortmund SID on Monday. There was still no talk of ghost games – a little later the draft decision was updated again.
Frank Bohmann is already trembling. For the managing director of the Handball Bundesliga (HBL), a sports shutdown would be a disaster – it would be “equivalent to a professional ban”, as he did in the SID-Conversation said: “Panic is spreading, we don’t want to take part in it. It doesn’t help us to paint the devil on the wall.” Bohmann campaigned for an alliance of sport and for continuing to speak with one voice.
Premier League wants to whip through the game plan
For others, the devil has long been emblazoned on the wall, even in football. The Champions League winners FC Chelsea had to play against the will of their German team manager. “We talk about protecting our players and creating a safe environment. But it’s not safe,” ranted Thomas Tuchel, for whom the compulsion (despite some rejections) is insane: “How can this be stopped when we all do sit in the bus and have dinner together? “
The league wants to whip through the games as much as possible – Jürgen Klopp makes that mad. “We can’t just push everything through,” said the Liverpool FC team manager, “we’re playing again on Wednesday, Sunday and Tuesday. That’s impossible. If we take a break, I can live with it.”
And in this country? The German Football League (DFL) relies on close monitoring and the urgent recommendation for booster vaccinations. “The Sports Medicine / Special Games Task Force analyzes (…) of course, this also applies to the Omikron variant,” said the DFL in response to a SID request.
Omikron wave is causing concern around the world
All clubs were therefore again “urgently” requested to have booster vaccinations. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, ex-CEO of Bayern Munich, is still worried about a great challenge. “How will things continue – and: how will things continue financially?” He asked at Bild TV. Christian Heidel from FSV Mainz 05 fears in view of the “horror scenarios” that “everything will be very, very difficult”.
The handling of the broadly approaching omicron wave is inconsistent around the world. The NHL cancels its games in a row, the NBA, on the other hand, is still halfway through, although many basketball stars are in quarantine. The NFL forces their teams to play with the very last roster if necessary. The schedule is sacred, equality of opportunity is a minor matter.
In Europe, too, there is a lot going wrong when it comes to dealing with them. So London has declared a disaster – but if there is a game, the football stadiums on the island are full. And in London (!) Alexandra Palace, thousands of drunks celebrate close together without a mask at the Darts World Cup. How does that fit together? For many: not at all.
Although the simulations of science predict bad things, Beijing is still optimistic that the Winter Olympics (February 4th to 20th) can go on “without worries”. “A specially set up, completely sealed-off bubble awaits Team D (…) in China,” said the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) on request on Monday: “In addition, it should be effective that fans from abroad do not come Our own contribution will also be important – we want to arrive with the best possible vaccination rate and well-tested. ” Boosters against Omikron will remain the best for the time being.
