Many professional clubs offer vaccination campaigns around the games of their teams, this should increase the vaccination rate (photo montage). Image: www.imago-images.de / Michael Weber IMAGEPOWER
–
To analyse
Vaccination center in the stadium, buses in front of it: This is how FC Bayern, Dortmund and other Bundesliga clubs support the vaccination campaign
80,000 people received their first vaccination against the corona virus on Monday, July 26th. On a weekday, this is the lowest number in months. It clearly shows the trend of the last few weeks: The vaccination rate is slowing down. At the same time, the incidence is increasing. Germany is still a long way from the hoped-for herd immunity in 80 to 85 percent of vaccinated people.
This is one of the reasons why many Bundesliga clubs are now organizing vaccination campaigns. In cooperation with the respective city and the Red Cross, there are vaccination buses at the stadium during games. The offers are often low-threshold, and registration is rarely required. For example, FC Bayern Munich’s test match against Borussia Mönchengladbach (0: 2) had the vaccination premiere at the Allianz Arena.
Vaccination possible in front of the arena
Before kick-off between 3 and 6 p.m., the fans could pick up the spades against Corona. The deputy chairman of the board Jan-Christian Dreesen explains about the campaign: “We are delighted that FC Bayern can support the vaccination offer from the city of Munich. Our society will only overcome this pandemic with a high willingness to vaccinate, because this is the only way we can all quickly return to our old life. It is nice that there is this low-threshold option for our fans and we hope that many will take advantage of this offer. “At the official team presentation on August 4th there is again the opportunity to be vaccinated at the Allianz Arena.
But not only FC Bayern is carrying out such campaigns, at Borussia Dortmund the stadium is even quickly becoming a vaccination center itself. They vaccinated there between July 22nd and 31st. As a bonus, those vaccinated could then take a free walk through the stadium and take a souvenir photo with the DFB Cup. More than 300 people were vaccinated on the first day alone, and a total of 700 fans a day could receive a vaccine from Biontech or Johnson & Johnson.
BVB managing director Carsten Cramer says: “I am delighted that this great idea emerged from the workforce and was implemented so quickly. It was important for us to once again live up to our social responsibility and make a direct contribution to combating the pandemic to be able to. “
Wide range in the Bundesliga
Most of the other Bundesliga clubs offer similar campaigns. There was a vaccination station both at the friendly between VfB Stuttgart and Barcelona and at the Hoffenheim test against Stade Reims. Similar offers will also be available in the future at Eintracht Frankfurt, FC Augsburg, 1. FC Cologne, FSV Mainz 05, Arminia Bielefeld, Union Berlin, Greuther Fürth, Hoffenheim, VfB Stuttgart or Bayer 04 Leverkusen. There are also thoughts on vaccination campaigns at Hertha BSC and RB Leipzig.
VfL Bochum and Borussia Mönchengladbach have come up with special incentives for their fans. Anyone who is vaccinated against the virus in Bochum between August 2nd and 5th in the vaccination center next to the Ruhrstadion will receive a voucher for EUR 18.48 (the year the association was founded) for the online shop. Ilja Kaenzig, spokesman for the management of VfL Bochum explains: “We hope that we can encourage those of our fans who have not yet been vaccinated to do so. This way we can fight the pandemic together.”
In Gladbach, on the other hand, everyone who gets vaccinated in the municipal vaccination center automatically takes part in a raffle. You can win a total of 50 Borussia jerseys and an invitation for two people to the club box for the first Bundesliga home game against Arminia Bielefeld.
How is the feedback to the clubs? VfL Bochum told watson: “When it comes to the polarizing topic of the ‘vaccination campaign’, you can not only expect applause, but the public feedback has been positive so far.”
In principle, football seems to be aware of its social responsibility in this area. It is also clear that the clubs themselves could of course also benefit from a high vaccination rate. If, for example, there are restrictions only for non-vaccinated people in the fall, the professional clubs could still hope for spectators if the vaccination rate is high. And that is extremely important for the Bundesliga clubs.
Markus Krösche moved from RB Leipzig to Frankfurt in the summer. Image: www.imago-images.de / Jan Huebner / Voigt
–
Frankfurt’s sports director Markus Krösche recently wrote in a “Kicker“-Guest contribution:” As a commercial enterprise, clubs already have serious financial problems in some cases, and direct and indirect jobs are acutely at risk. Therefore, a full capacity utilization of the stadiums is of vital importance for all clubs in a very timely manner. “A high vaccination rate could help to achieve or maintain full or partial capacity utilization.
One thing is clear: empty stadiums would mean that the clubs would lose millions of dollars in revenue again. Bayern Munich alone makes a loss of 4 million euros per ghost game.
(With material from dpa)
