“Federal Council contradicts itself” – football league calls for faster openings

The Swiss Football League does not want any more restrictions on spectator capacity from September.

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Football fans still have to wait for their real stadium experience. The Federal Council stipulates that from July 3,000 and from September 10,000 people can enter the stadiums. However, the Swiss Football League is not doing this too quickly. In a letter to the federal government, the football league demands that there should be faster openings.

The league is bothered by the fact that the draft for the approval of major events contradicts the federal government’s 3-phase model. In the third phase of this model, the so-called normalization phase, strong social and economic restrictions can no longer be justified, according to the Federal Council. Even then, stadiums must not be fully occupied. “As we understand it, the stadiums should then be able to be reopened without restrictions,” says Claudius Schäfer, CEO of the Swiss Football League. “There are no known infections among visitors to football games outdoors,” says Schäfer. He also refers to continuously open ski areas or the reopened restaurant terraces. Neither of these resulted in an increase in the number of cases.

Switzerland was the pioneer in the beginning

Last fall, the situation was very different. For a short time, Switzerland was considered a pioneer in terms of spectator capacity in stadiums. In football and ice hockey, occupancy of two thirds of the seating capacity was permitted in October. After only one home game per club, the federal government had to row back due to the high number of cases. There is great respect for the same scenario. The situation is not comparable, says Schäfer. “We are now at a completely different point because we have vaccinated people.” One of the main reasons why the league would like to have the stadium experience again without restrictions from August – apart from the presentation of a certificate that identifies the visitors as vaccinated, recovered or tested, and the obligation to wear a mask.

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Anyone who dares to look across the borders will notice that a lot has happened in many European countries. At the EM, spectator capacities of over 20 percent are guaranteed in all participating cities. In Munich, 14,500 fans are allowed into the stadium, in Budapest as many as 67,000. In other leagues, too, more fans are allowed into the stadiums. For example, the stadiums in Israel will be fully used; Austria will again allow 3,000 fans from May 19. Countries such as Denmark, Poland, Romania and Russia have also reopened the stadium gates.

Another point of criticism of the league is: Instead of the stadium capacity, one assumes absolute figures. That means: The 10,000 limit applies similarly in smaller and larger stages. The only restriction is: the distance must be guaranteed.