Cologne boss Wehrle defends himself against ghost games: “We are not the hotspots”

Managing Director Alexander Wehrle from 1. FC Köln has clearly spoken out against ghost games. “The stability of the health system must be paramount, football will have to take a step back,” said Wehrle two days after the Rheinderby against Borussia M’Gladbach in front of 50,000 spectators: “Still, I say, let’s stick with the facts. We are not the hotspots as major events. “

According to Wehrle, “3.7 million soccer fans have had ten positive tests in the aftermath” of previous games in the corona pandemic. This is one of the reasons why the 46-year-old speaks out against the exclusion of viewers: “With a sensible hygiene concept, the traceability of the chain of infection, with masks and with 2G-Plus we should find solutions to avoid talking about ghost games”.

A home game in front of empty ranks “means a loss of 1.8 million euros for 1. FC Köln”, calculated Wehrle. “In the future, from my point of view, you have to orientate yourself towards the hospitalization rate. Here in North Rhine-Westphalia we are doing very, very well with 3.84 because we have a good vaccination rate. In Cologne it is even very good.”

In North Rhine-Westphalia, measures with a view to major events are also to be decided on Tuesday. According to NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst, full stadiums and flown in patients from other federal states do not go together. “And we will tackle things like that,” said the CDU politician in ARD– Lunch magazine.