The worrying Corona situation has reignited the debate about the widespread return of ghost games in the Bundesliga.
The audience plan is still in place – but almost no one believes in the implementation anymore. The fact that 67,000 fans will actually experience the top game in the Bundesliga between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich live in the stadium on Saturday seems extremely unrealistic in view of the frightening Corona situation. Much more, the widespread comeback of the ghost games is getting closer – exactly half a time after the end of the game was proclaimed by politicians.
“Even if I am a football fan: In the sizes in which the stadiums are now occupied, that is not possible,” said FDP party leader Christian Lindner in the ARD-Talk show “Anne Will”. The finance minister-designate is likely to be before the after AFP-Information for Tuesday’s top round from the federal and state governments knows more than the public – and so the derby between 1. FC Köln and Borussia Mönchengladbach (4: 1) could have been the last game with full grandstands for the time being.
Numerous politicians are in favor of lower audience numbers
The encounter on Saturday in front of 50,000 spectators fueled the debate about the ghost games. Numerous top politicians and experts expressed their incomprehension. In addition to Lindner, Markus Söder and Karl Lauterbach, among others, are calling for greatly reduced audience numbers or the renewed complete exclusion of fans. Spokesman Steffen Seibert also articulated the federal government’s lack of understanding on Monday.
As a result, it is expected that after Saxony, Baden-Württemberg will also decide to return to closed games during the week. Bavaria has already greatly reduced the number of visitors allowed in the stadiums, and other federal states want to follow suit.
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.
TSG Hoffenheim (against Eintracht Frankfurt) and VfB Stuttgart (against Hertha BSC) would be affected by ghost games in Baden-Württemberg at the weekend. The Swabians are already alarmed.
Board boss Thomas Hitzlsperger warned urgently against encounters without spectators or even a “football lockdown”. “Ghost games are really dramatic for us,” said the former international im SWR and called the financial situation “more and more precarious”.
Next lockdown? “The fact is that you get tired”
RB Leipzig had their first experiences with the return of the games in front of empty ranks on Sunday. Not only the result against Bayer Leverkusen (1: 3) disaffected the bosses.
“The fact is that you get tired, not just us in football, but also every other citizen in the country, with constantly new restrictions and hopes that are made to you. Then the next lockdown threatens again,” said managing director Oliver Mintzlaff at DAZN: “Of course it is a big disadvantage in terms of sport and economy, which we have compared to the Bundesliga clubs who play in full or half-full stadiums.”
After all, this disadvantage could soon no longer exist. Germany-wide contact restrictions are inevitable for Söder. “What the Leopoldina demands, the whole country needs. We have to act decisively now,” said the Bavarian Prime Minister on Monday ZDF-Morning magazine.
The top of the German Football Association (DFB) relies on a uniform line. “It is very difficult to convey that there are 50,000 spectators in Cologne in the stadium – and one day later none in Leipzig,” said co-interim president Rainer Koch on Monday: “Football has to make it clear that it is aware of its responsibility. We but also have to ensure that the clubs can survive economically. “
