Fewer fans because of Corona? Thomas Hitzlsperger warns

CEO Thomas Hitzlsperger from Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart has warned of another corona-related reduction in the number of spectators in German professional football.

“A further, blanket reduction in stadium capacities would exacerbate our economic situation and would also be the wrong way to go about fighting the pandemic,” said the former national player in the kicker quoted.

In his view, it would “thwart the vaccination campaign if vaccinated and convalescent people are not allowed into the stadium,” explained Hitzlsperger. Football games are not a pandemic driver, emphasized the 39-year-old, “the numbers show that both here in Stuttgart and in the entire league”. A corresponding study by the German Football League (DFL), however, relates to the first days of the season, when the number of infections was far lower than is currently the case.

The industry’s fear of further cuts is understandable: FC Bayern lost an impressive four million viewer income per game during the ghost game phase, while VfB lost around two million euros.