Because of the acute corona situation, professional football is heading for again ghost games. However, it is still unclear whether all clubs are affected or just some. EXPRESS.de provides the overview before the Corona summit.
Ghost games or mini-scenery, that is the big question before the 14th Bundesliga matchday. On Thursday (December 2, 2021), at another Corona summit, the next steps in the Corona pandemic will be voted on, an important topic is also how to deal with major events.
A resolution proposal for the Thursday summit, reported on by “Bild” and Focus Online, among others, should already contain concrete figures. Accordingly, the stadium capacity should be allowed to be used to 30 percent from now on. In no case should there be more than 10,000 spectators in the arenas. The 2G or 2G + rule should be a prerequisite for visiting the stadium. The aim is also to find a nationwide uniform line for major events, which also include the Bundesliga games.
It is unlikely that the ghost games already introduced in Saxony will be off the table. The federal state currently hardest hit by Corona will probably stick to its zero-spectator tactic.
Corona summit: disagreement among the country leaders
In any case, there is no agreement between the country bosses when it comes to audience utilization. The question holds great potential for conflict. Because while some like Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (54) want to punch through ghost games at all costs, others like Hendrik Wüst (46) in North Rhine-Westphalia fight similarly doggedly for spectators in the stands. Wüst was visibly reluctant to answer questions about ghost games clearly on Tuesday.
NRW Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (64) once again strongly opposed the ghost game plans. “We have agreed in the government that we will now limit the capacity of the stadiums to a third. No more standing room, everything on seats and then we think that’s justifiable, ”he said on Wednesday at RTL / n-tv.
Logistical problems around Bundesliga games
It only seems clear that less than the average of 18,000 spectators from the previous weekend will be allowed to flock to the stadiums on the weekend. For the clubs this means new complications in ticket sales.
However, the differences are great. Bremen, for example, initially assumed a capacity of two thirds, but could now be downgraded to 10,000 fans. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, on the other hand, only 1,000 viewers are allowed from the outset. At FC Augsburg, managing director Michael Ströll (37) raged over Markus Söders ghost game approach.
Ghost game debate: spectator plans of the federal states
“For many people it is no longer understandable that certain areas of life are now supposed to pay for the wrongdoing of those in charge of politics,” he shot at the Prime Minister. Despite Söder’s strict stance, the FCA is still planning a stadium load of 25 percent (around 7,600 fans), and the club did not want to rule out even a temporary move to a state with looser rules. But even these considerations could all be invalid on Thursday.
EXPRESS.de has summarized the current status in the federal states before the Thursday summit.
- Bayern (Bayern Munich, FC Augsburg, Greuther Fürth, 1. FC Nürnberg, FC Ingolstadt, Jahn Regensburg): Prime Minister Markus Söder absolutely wants the ghost games. “We’re trying to do it all over Germany again, but we’d go it alone in Bavaria at this point,” he said on Tuesday. FC Augsburg is currently expecting a capacity of 25 percent for its home game against Bochum on Saturday. As a result, the people of Fuggerstadt either want to move to Hesse or rebel against their state government.
- North Rhine-Westphalia (Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Mönchengladbach, 1. FC Cologne, VfL Bochum, Arminia Bielefeld, Schalke 04, SC Paderborn, Fortuna Düsseldorf): Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst would like to avoid ghost games. “There can and will not be pictures like the one from the weekend in Cologne,” said the CDU politician. However, he also spoke of “significant reductions in major events”. Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann confirmed plans to use the stadium to a third.
- Baden-Wuerttemberg (VfB Stuttgart, SC Freiburg, TSG Hoffenheim, SV Sandhausen, Karlsruher SC, 1. FC Heidenheim): Last weekend only 50 percent of the stadium’s capacity could be used up to a maximum of 25,000 spectators. Ghost games will “pretty sure” come in the coming weeks, announced Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann.
- Saxony (RB Leipzig, Dynamo Dresden, Erzgebirge Aue): The first federal state that relied on ghost games again last weekend will maintain this course. However, Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer would like a nationwide solution: “There are still three game days until Christmas, and they should happen without spectators.”
- Hessen (Eintracht Frankfurt, Darmstadt 98): Prime Minister Volker Bouffier clearly ruled out ghost games on Tuesday, instead the stadiums may be filled to a quarter of their capacity and with a maximum of 15,000 spectators after his performance.
- Berlin (Union Berlin, Hertha BSC): The capital derby almost two weeks ago took place in front of a sold-out house, now Senate chief Michael Müller speaks of an “order of magnitude of 5000 people”. Ghost games are currently not an issue.
- Hamburg (Hamburger SV, FC St. Pauli): Unlike most federal states, the Hanseatic city is not working on its own regulation and wants to refer to the resolutions on Thursday. Hamburg will “join a nationwide regulation”, declared the First Mayor Peter Tschentscher.
- Lower Saxony (VfL Wolfsburg, Hannover 96): Prime Minister Stephan Weil is also relying on a Germany-wide solution. Lower Saxony has therefore not yet announced its own proposal. The permitted stadium utilization is currently 50 percent.
- Rhineland-Palatinate (Mainz 05): Prime Minister Malu Dreyer said on Tuesday that she did not know how to proceed at major events in the future. The state therefore wants to join nationwide regulations.
- Schleswig-Holstein (Holstein Kiel): There are still disagreements about the audience plan in the far north. Ostholstein’s district administrator Reinhard Sager did not rule out ghost games either. Prime Minister Daniel Günther, on the other hand, assumes at least a partial backdrop.
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Hansa Rostock): Since Wednesday, strict new corona restrictions have been in effect in the state, which only allow 1,000 spectators to play football. Hansa Rostock criticized the “horrific” communication between the decision-makers.
- Bremen (Werder Bremen): On Wednesday, the city and the club discussed how to proceed. It was agreed that all 27,000 season ticket holders would also be allowed into the stadium, but that there would be no free ticket sales. That comes close to two-thirds of the capacity utilization of the stadium.
Decision on spectator regulations on Thursday
The current plans provide that most of the countries with their own ideas in the renewed Corona summit will go on Thursday, in which final decisions will be made. It is still unclear whether, depending on the situation in the federal states, individual regulations will ultimately be made or whether ghost games will be set up everywhere in the interests of uniformity.
“When Christmas markets are closed, it is not right to have full stadiums,” said Markus Söder on Tuesday with a view to the possible signaling effect of a uniform regulation. The CSU politician has made the ghost games a high priority and does not shy away from heated discussions.
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