It is the basis for the ball rolling again in the Bundesliga: the hygiene concept of the DFL and DFB. But even three weeks after the restart, it is often not clear who is checking that the requirements are being met.
According to the federal government, “first of all, the clubs of the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga and their hygiene officers” are responsible for implementing the concept and sanctioning violations – professional football should therefore control itself. We asked the German Football League three weeks ago what exactly this self-regulation looks like – to date we have not received any answers to our questions.
In response to a request from Greens sports politician Monika Lazar, the federal government also referred to the local authorities. A Deutschlandfunk query with all 36 professional clubs from the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga and the responsible health authorities are now showing that state authorities only carry out controls at some locations – and that the number of corona tests required is higher than originally planned by the DFL.
We have summarized the answers to our questions below. Until now (as of June 6, 5 p.m.) 23 associations and 15 health offices answered our request. We have listed them at the end of the article. If we get further answers, we will add them to the article later.
Have there been any positive corona tests since the Bundesliga was restarted?
Nine of the eleven first division teams replied that there were no or no known corona cases. RB Leipzig writes that there is “generally no information” on this topic.
Werder Bremen states that there has been a positive case around a player. The player went into quarantine, but was negative in all tests and now back in training. Werder had made this case public on May 15, the day before the restart.
Eight clubs from the second division replied that there had been no positive cases. Four clubs do not provide any information: VfL Bochum, Hannover 96, SSV Jahn Regensburg, VfB Stuttgart.
VfL Bochum refers to a short response period and the responsibility of the German Football League. Hannover 96 asks for your understanding that “we do not provide any information on the health data of our players and their families as well as other employees.”
Eleven of the health authorities report that there were no positive Covid 19 tests in the clubs in their area of responsibility. It is not clear from four responses whether there were corona cases in the period queried: Düsseldorf, Dresden, Hamburg-Altona (responsible for HSV) and Wolfsburg. HSV, VfL Wolfsburg and Dynamo Dresden did not respond to our survey. Fortuna Düsseldorf informs us that the club has “so far had no known corona case”.
Hertha BSC flag (imago)Quarantine for everyone in Berlin? The district councilor for social affairs and health responsible for Hertha BSC announced in Dlf that the entire team would be quarantined if a player at Hertha BSC was infected with corona and was on the pitch.
How many tests have so far been carried out on behalf of the association?
Five first division clubs do not provide any information: FC Augsburg, Fortuna Düsseldorf, Eintracht Frankfurt, SC Freiburg and RB Leipzig. FC Augsburg refers to the DFL on this question. Three clubs generally answer that they followed the tests prescribed by the DFL: Hertha BSC, 1. FC Köln and SC Paderborn. Borussia Dortmund reports that “no statistics on the total number” of the tests are kept.
Two clubs are becoming more specific: Mainz 05 writes: “So far there have been 11 test series, our test group consists of 51 people.” Multiply this results in 561 tests, but without the voluntary tests for relatives provided for in the hygiene concept.
Erik Durm (left) and Andre Silva in training at Eintracht Frankfurt on April 3, 2020 (www.imago-images.de)In the middle of the heyday of the corona crisis in March, the entire Eintracht Frankfurt team including support staff and trainer team was tested on COVID-19. At a time when tests were still in short supply in Germany. This caused displeasure.
Werder Bremen announced that a test series there comprised 55 people and ten test series had already been carried out. In addition, 80 relatives were tested once. This results in a total of 630 tests up to match day 30.
If you add the numbers from Bremen to all professional clubs, this results in a test number of around 35,000 by the end of the season. That is 10,000 tests more than the DFL intended in its first draft for the hygiene concept – the DFL had compared Time online already confirmed that more tests are needed. For comparison: According to the “Association of Accredited Laboratories”, there were 340,000 tests in Germany last week, another 500,000 would have been possible.
The second division almost all point out that they adhered to the tests prescribed by the DFL. VfL Bochum and Arminia Bielefeld do not provide any information. 1. FC Nürnberg announces that 14 test series have been completed. Greuther Fürth writes that, in addition to the prescribed tests before resuming the small group training, “two test runs on our own initiative were carried out with our team” in order to further minimize the risk.
How was compliance with the DFL hygiene concept checked?
The first division clubs Augsburg, Düsseldorf and Leipzig do not provide any information. Mainz 05 and SC Paderborn speak of a close exchange with the local authorities. Controls were affirmed by Hertha BSC and Werder Bremen (both by the Health Department and Ordnungsamt), SC Freiburg (no further details) and 1. FC Köln (by the Health Department and DFL), as well as Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund (both Health Department).
However, the Dortmund health authority tells the DLF that there would be no control because the compliance with the hygiene concept is not legally required. “Since the health department does not see an increased risk of infection for the population caused by training or playing, there is no medical need for controls,” said the authority.
On this contradiction, BVB spokesman Sascha Fligge explains that there have been two visits by the health department – one before the season starts again and one in the past week. Processes and the tests of the players were checked, but there was no acceptance of the overall package. So the different statements should be classified.
There is a similar contradiction in Frankfurt. While the concord speaks of controls by the health department, the city health department informs the city that the hygiene concept itself has been checked and found to be good. The implementation of hygiene concepts in the sports area is not controlled by the health department. There is no legal basis for this.
SC Freiburg’s stadium remained without spectators during the game against Borussia Mönchengladbach. (Avanti / Ralf Poller)
The health authorities in Freiburg, Heidelberg (responsible for Hoffenheim and Sandhausen), Cologne and Leipzig state to the DLF that they had carried out checks. No complaints were found, or “no complaints that prevent competition,” as the Cologne authorities wrote.
In the second division, Bielefeld, Greuther Fürth, Heidenheim and Jahn Regensburg speak of a close and regular exchange, but remain vague as to whether there have been any controls. The following associations report that there have been controls: Darmstadt 98, 1. FC Nürnberg (both through the Health Department), SV Wehen Wiesbaden (through the Health Department and the Hessian Office for Social Affairs). Aue, Bochum, Hanover and Stuttgart do not provide any information.
VfL Osnabrück announced that there had been controls, including by the responsible health authority. “Initially initiated proactively by VfL Osnabrück. There were no complaints, only positive feedback.” The health department, on the other hand, writes that it “does not check the hygiene concept of the DFL, that is their own responsibility.”
Upon request, the association specified that the health authority would not take over the 1: 1 control of the DFL hygiene concept. Nevertheless, they are in constant communication and have also taken measures beyond the hygiene concept. One had gone through these together.
The health authorities in Karlsruhe and Hanover state that they have not carried out any checks. The health authorities in Bielefeld and Kiel are different. There had already been a control in Bielefeld and more were planned, the Kiel office regularly checked Holstein. The health department writes that the concept has so far been adhered to. The Dlf sports editorial team has received no feedback from the club itself.
Have answered (in alphabetical order):
1st National League: FC Augsburg, Hertha BSC, Werder Bremen, Borussia Dortmund, Fortuna Düsseldorf, Eintracht Frankfurt, SC Freiburg, 1. FC Köln, RB Leipzig, Mainz 05, SC Paderborn.
2nd Bundesliga: Erzgebirge Aue, Arminia Bielefeld, VfL Bochum, Darmstadt 98, Greuther Fürth, Hannover 96, FC Heidenheim, 1. FC Nürnberg, VfL Osnabrück, Jahn Regensburg, VfB Stuttgart, SV Wehen Wiesbaden.
Didn’t answer: Union Berlin, TSG Hoffenheim, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Bayern Munich, FC Schalke 04, VfL Wolfsburg (1st division), Dynamo Dresden, Hamburger SV, Karlsruher SC, Holstein Kiel, SC St. Pauli, SV Sandhausen (2nd division ).
The following health authorities answered: Bielefeld, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Dresden, Frankfurt, Freiburg, Hamburg-Altona (HSV), Hanover, Heidelberg (responsible for Hoffenheim and Sandhausen), Karlsruhe, Kiel, Cologne, Osnabrück, Leipzig, Wolfsburg.
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