Berlin (dpa) – After the federal-state resolutions on audience restrictions in professional sport, the games of the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga take place under different circumstances.
Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) announced on Friday a ghost game regulation for his state, which will apply from this Saturday. In Baden-Württemberg, a maximum of 750 people are allowed in the stadiums. North Rhine-Westphalia implements the guidelines agreed on Thursday at the meeting of the federal government with the state leaders exactly immediately.
Avoid crowds
The agreement stipulates that a maximum of 50 percent of the capacity in stadiums and halls may be used. A maximum of 15,000 spectators are permitted in the arenas on the coming match days of the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga. In sports halls there can be up to 5000 visitors. In regions with extreme numbers of infections, events should be canceled or ghost games implemented.
The managing health minister Jens Spahn warned on Friday to ensure the corona protection requirements. The CDU politician said that he could only advertise that the compromise would actually be implemented “in all its facets”. This includes access only for vaccinated and convalescent people (2G), keeping your distance and wearing a mask, ideally no alcohol as well as arrival and departure concepts that avoid crowds.
Ghost games in Bavaria
The first division club FC Augsburg on Saturday (3:30 p.m. / Sky) against VfL Bochum and 1. FC Nürnberg also on Saturday (1:30 p.m. / Sky) against Holstein Kiel are affected by the zero solution in Bavaria. In Baden-Württemberg, TSG Hoffenheim waived fans after the decision of the state government on Saturday (3.30 p.m. / Sky) against Eintracht Frankfurt.
“For us, this decision is of course synonymous with a return to so-called ghost games,” said TSG managing director Frank Briel. VfB Stuttgart will also have to do without fan support against Hertha BSC on Sunday (3:30 p.m. / DAZN).
The Bundesliga summit on Saturday (6.30 p.m. / Sky) between second Borussia Dortmund and league leaders Bayern Munich can see 15,000 spectators according to the decisions. BVB initially put 67,000 tickets on sale, but had to cancel them again due to the new Corona regulation.
“It’s a right way”
Federal states such as Bremen, Berlin, Lower Saxony and Hamburg are not yet affected by the new regulations. They will introduce their new requirements into their ordinances in the coming week. Second division Werder Bremen welcomed more than 20,000 visitors on Friday evening against the Erzgebirge Aue.
1. FC Union Berlin also did not have to implement the limit of 5000 spectators announced by the Senate on Friday evening against RB Leipzig. This regulation will only come into force next week. The second division north derby between Hannover 96 and Hamburger SV will be played on Sunday (1.30 p.m. / Sky) in front of 22,500 instead of 15,000 spectators. The second division first FC St. Pauli also does not have to observe the new upper limit on Saturday (8.30 p.m. / Sky and Sport1) against Schalke 04.
Overall, the resolutions of the federal and state governments were received with understanding in the Bundesliga. “It’s a right way. We really mustn’t feel safe. The pandemic situation has reached a dramatic climax, “said St. Pauli President Oke Göttlich on Deutschlandfunk.
The Freiburg trainer Christian Streich sees politics and society equally responsible for the corona situation in Germany, which has worsened again. If one had taken the “negative announcements” of science “more seriously, we would not have run into the fourth wave like this,” said Streich.
