May 8, 2020
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The German Bundesliga is continuing its season with ghost games next weekend, South Korea started on Friday, there are concrete plans in Denmark, Norway, Bulgaria, Serbia, Turkey and some other countries.
Italy, Spain and England also hope to continue, while the season in France or the Netherlands has been canceled. There are conclusive arguments for both scenarios.
Sporting fairness
Every decision that is not made on the green table, but on the green lawn, contributes to a fair rating in the championship, promotion and relegation or European Cup question. This also counteracts a possible wave of legal replay.
Economic situation
Especially in the top leagues because of the high TV money an important argument for a continuation. The German Football League has calculated that if it were canceled, around 750 million euros would be missing. Many clubs would be threatened by bankruptcy.
Professional existence
The football professionals are gladly given a special role. First and foremost, the kickers want to pursue their profession, as is the case in other commercial companies.
Professionals want to work
“We are in the same situation as the restaurateurs or hoteliers. It’s also about future careers, ”said Austria-Vienna board member Markus Kraetschmer. In Austria, the professionals are far from having taken care of during their active careers. In small clubs in particular, earnings hardly differ from those of a “normal” 40-hour job.
Jobs
All employees in the clubs and associations also want to practice their profession. Although this is only possible to a limited extent or not at all for many, whether there is a lack of gastronomy or a lack of ticket sales, even with ghost games.
Role model
If football succeeds in setting a good example and a working concept, it can be an important signal for many other sports. The same applies to amateur, grassroots and youth sports.
Low risk of infection
spotlight
Football is returning to the public and thus back in the spotlight. This is not only existential for the time after Corona, but also of great importance for the junior departments so that children do not lose touch with sport.
concept
If a successful concept is put together, as it seems to be the case in Germany, there is nothing to be said against a restart. Especially since the risk of infection during the games whether the mandatory tests are minimal. “If we test every three days – there is not much more risk minimization,” said Austria’s league chief Christian Ebenbauer.
Missing alternative
If you do not play ghost games, it could mean a month- or in the worst case (if there is no vaccine) years of standstill. Football and its clubs would not survive.
health
Without a doubt, health must always be a top priority. If football helps increase the number of infections and the virus spreads again, the emergency brake must be pulled. Positive cases could reveal gaps in the concept, but a residual risk remains.
Consequential damage
The same applies to infected players as far as possible consequential damage is concerned. “An athlete should be concerned that an infection can be the end of his career,” said sports doctor Wilhelm Bloch in the ARD. The changed breathing under high stress increases the risk.
No rethinking
Many leagues want to get the season through with all their might and as quickly as possible, primarily for financial reasons. The hope of bringing the sport closer to the fans again under the motto “back to the roots” seems to be shattered, a rethinking apparently does not take place.
Player endangered
Risk of injury
The concentrated calendar suggests that the players only play a subordinate role in the construct of professional football. In Germany, the kickers return to playing after part of a week in team training. The players kept themselves fit in small groups, but games under competitive conditions mean even higher demands on the body.
Economic situation
For smaller clubs, ghost games are existential. The TV money represents only a small part of the budget, the clubs rely on income from home games from gastronomy, ticketing and sponsoring. In addition, there is the end of short-time work, at the same time expenditure on testing has to be met. Bundesliga team LASK cost the daily tests up to 5000 € per day.
(None) normality
Fans
Many supporters fear further commercialization and alienation of football due to the lack of mood and spectators in the stadiums. A return to normality looks different, said the German ethicist Steffen Augsberg: “Ghost games don’t even pretend normality, but above all illustrate how abnormal the conditions are.”
Special role
If football is made too many concessions in comparison to other sectors or sports, the accusation of disproportionate privileges quickly becomes apparent. “I’m surprised that we put so much energy into the Bundesliga debate. It is an example of clever lobbying, ”said Augsberg.
Conclusion
The topic is also far too complex because of different requirements in the various leagues to give a general answer to the meaningfulness of ghost games. The fact is that ghost games need an expiration date. Football cannot survive in the long run without fans.
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