On Saturday, FC Bayern Munich officially announced that the Allianz Arena was sold out with 75,000 spectators for the first time since March 8, 2020. But if you looked around, you discovered some free places. A phenomenon that can be observed much more clearly in other stages of the country. For fan researcher Prof. Dr. Harald Lange is not the only reason for the decline in viewers to be due to the corona pandemic.
“There are two reasons that cross each other,” Lange explained in an interview with SPOX and GOAL and first mentioned the corona pandemic: “While you are indulging in the passion and emotionality of football, you also have in the back of your mind worries about infection or whether the hygiene measures are fully developed. At the same time, admission controls and personalization of the Tickets for a slight discomfort. The stadium visit is not quite as free as it was two or three years ago. “
But that alone would be too short-sighted. According to Lange, “the incipient de-emotionalization and alienation of football from the fans, which we were able to observe at the beginning of the pandemic” also play a role. “Based on a commercial criticism, which until the beginning of 2020 was the domain of the active fan scenes that opposed the DFB and in part against the DFL and called for a different form and organization of football. With the pandemic, this criticism is in the middle of the Society has arrived, “said Lange.
There were already indications a year and a half ago in the course of the restart after the beginning of the corona pandemic, Lange continued: “The special role of football, which was able to continue gaming operations with ghost games during pandemic times, led to approval for the Football has decreased. “
Before that, full stadiums were almost a sure-fire success. “You just had to open the gates and then people came in. In the past, it was difficult to get tickets at some clubs at all. So I can understand why those responsible in German football didn’t have to worry too much about it. how they recruit fans. They just came, “said Lange.
Fan researcher sees “danger that fans will be permanently lost”
But even when a partial return of fans was allowed under certain conditions at the beginning of the 2020/21 season, some clubs were left with tickets. “As a result, football has lost its reputation and credibility. That resonates on the horizon,” said Lange. “The pandemic has gotten a lot of trouble. There is a risk that a house of cards effect will set in at one point or another and the suction effect of professional football will suddenly be affected. The longer this phase of stagnation lasts, the greater the risk that it will the fans are actually permanently lost. “
More and more clubs are currently relying on the 2G rule, which means that only those who have been vaccinated or who have recovered are allowed to visit the stadium. With this rule, the clubs should theoretically be able to fully utilize the stadiums again, but seats will still remain empty in many places. This was also the case most recently in Frankfurt, when against RB Leipzig instead of the 51,500 possible spectators only 31,000 people found their way into the stadium. SGE board member Axel Hellmann spoke in the FAZ in view of the absence of 20,000 season ticket holders “from the absence of the regular milieus”.
Elsewhere, too, members of the active fan scene stayed or are staying away from the stadiums. The reasons given include still prevailing restrictions or the personalization of tickets. Little by little, however, the Ultras are also returning to the stadiums – as was the case on Saturday in Bayern’s game against SC Freiburg (2-1).
FCB: “Right broadside” – Long expects more protests
“That is double-edged. On the one hand, it is a shame because it also means that the mood and atmosphere are missing. When they are back now, the atmosphere will be back, then there will be choreographies again,” said Lange. “But what happens at the weekend? They are critical, politically active and then they just hit their own club – like at Bayern Munich – but a real broadside and ask: Where is your moral conscience? My prognosis is that we shall see these pictures every time an ultra group returns throughout the winter. “
Supporters in the south curve criticized the Qatar sponsorship with a banner. For Lange, the exchange on such topics is also important. “This underlines that we have to lead the debates on commercialization in the clubs and at the DFL,” emphasized the holder of the chair for sports science at the University of Würzburg.
In dealing with the pandemic and with regard to the hygiene concept for players and spectators, Lange certified that the clubs and the DFL had done a good job. He sees a need to catch up when dealing with commercial criticism: “Those who have only seen professional football in the past to serve the purpose of maximizing money have to be put into perspective.” We have to open our eyes again to the social significance of football.
Danger of ghost games? “Loss of fans continues”
After all, football is historically of particular relevance in crises. “Football has always sent the message that we belong together and let’s pull together. This is happening far too little at the moment. This potential needs to be tapped again,” emphasized Lange.
In view of the increasing number of infections, the debate about fans in the stadiums could soon go in a different direction. “It depends on which socio-political decisions are made,” said Lange. “When there are lockdowns again, there will be ghost games again. But I think every politician tries to avoid this very question and hope to somehow get through without a lockdown.”
Should it come to a new lockdown, he fears: “If that should be the case, football will leave a lot of air out of the emotional pot and the alienation and loss of fans will continue. That would be very, very bad for football. But that is not the most important question. Our most important question is our safety and our health. “
