Embolo under suspicion: No reason for Bundesliga kin liability

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If someone shoots across there, he will also damage his colleagues from other sports, who earn far less and are even more dependent on holding competitions. The responsibility that rests on professionals, coaches and the environment they work with is great.

With the exception of unpleasant individual failures, the Bundesliga system has so far handled this responsibility well. Just one more reminder: It was the hygiene concept that emerged in German football under great economic pressure and was repeatedly adapted to new developments that made a new start possible for large parts of the sport beyond football last year. Problems arose especially when the club’s players returned from international trips. The fact that sporting events can even slide into the absurd in these times is proven by the handball World Cup, which is more poorly than rightly held in Egypt.

But the Bundesliga can’t do anything about that. It goes without saying that a lockdown in amateur sport cannot be offset against the permission that professionals can continue to compete against each other in this country. If the financial and logistical possibilities are there and – most importantly – health protection is provided, why then discontinue the Bundesliga bubble out of principles?

That would also entail a whole rat tail. Because then of course all other leagues and competitions that somehow maintain their game and competition operations under the common banner of professional sport would have to be discontinued. That means: No basketball league, no German ice hockey league, no biathlon in Oberhof, no preparatory competitions for the – admittedly rather shaky – Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

This also means: no more role models to be actively admired for those who are currently not allowed to practice their sport for good reasons, even fewer opportunities for diversion for the millions of sports fans who can at least still rely on sports on television in the current lockdown.

Of course, like professional sport in general, the Bundesliga does not have a free ticket for all time. As long as the pandemic affects large parts of our lives, it will continue to have to be planned on sight. If it is necessary for reasons of health protection, professional sport will also have to cope with a lockdown again.

However, an embolo deserves a severe personal punishment if the charges against him are confirmed. The Bundesliga, on the other hand, should not be held liable for the irresponsibility of individuals.

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