The Dutch and Czechs can experience it in the European Championship round of 16: the packed stadium in Budapest, including atmosphere and enthusiasm. But why is it possible in Hungary that cannot be done elsewhere? This is the concept.
54,886. So many spectators were in the Puskás Stadium in Budapest last Wednesday and watched the summit of world champions France and European champions Portugal (2-2). Full of mood and enthusiasm, just like in pre-Corona times. It will be the same again this Sunday at the European Championship round of 16 between the Netherlands and the Czech Republic (6 p.m. / live on ARD, on MagentaTV and in sternTicker) before the tournament for the Hungarian capital is over. But why is it possible there that cannot be done at most other European Championship venues?
The answer: An enormous effort is being made, and the corona situation in Hungary is comparatively relaxed at the moment. In the past week (June 14-21), 585 new infections were counted there, 34 people died with or from Covid-19. The incidence value: 5.9. In addition, more vaccine doses have already been administered in Hungary (10.1 million) than the country’s population (9.7 million). More than 48 percent of Hungarians (4.7 million) are fully vaccinated, and more than five million are said to have received at least one dose. Hungary started vaccinations at an early stage and relied on Russian and Chinese substances that have not yet been approved in the EU to work against corona. A decision with which Viktor Orbán’s government pulled out of the EU’s actions.
High vaccination coverage in Hungary
According to the cleaning company B + N AG, advanced vaccination is a prerequisite for spectators to be allowed in the Puskás Stadium. The company with a total of 7,000 employees is also responsible for cleaning and technical maintenance of the 67,000-person arena outside of the European Championship. At the EM games, however, the effort is significantly higher than usual in order to be able to ensure a Corona-fair atmosphere and mood, explains a spokesman for the company stern. Both before and after the games, the stands and all seats are cleaned and disinfected. This also applies to all interior spaces including all corridors, team cabins and so-called skyboxes, as the VIP lounges with glass fronts to the playing field are called.
In addition to cleaning machines, significantly more staff than usual are in use – a total of around 150 cleaning staff. The increased effort is necessary because the Uefa’s corona regulations for the EM are particularly strict. Everything is checked intensively and checked twice, they say.
Only those who are fully vaccinated come into the stadium
According to the information, access to the stadium is only given to people who can either present a vaccination certificate or a hospital confirmation that they have survived Covid diseases within the past three months. According to this, only fully vaccinated people receive a vaccination certificate. The pass could be a plastic card or an app. In this way, access to restaurants, discos and other public spaces is regulated and controlled in Hungary apart from football.
The access controls to the stadium are much more complex – after all, thousands of fans from abroad also come to the European Championship games. To ensure that only authorized people can enter the stadium, there are three assembly points in Budapest and one more at the airport. There spectators would have to present a vaccination certificate, identity card and the ticket for the respective game in order to be registered for admission. If everything is in order, each ticket holder receives a wristband with which they are finally allowed into the stadium. To prevent abuse, the ribbons have different colors for each of the four games in the Puskás Arena: yellow, orange and red are already taken. Another color applies to the round of 16 on Sunday.
Test run at the Supercup 2020
According to B + N, there is one exception. Children under the age of 16 do not have to go through the registration procedure. As a rule, they are also not (yet) vaccinated. If accompanied by an adult who can show a vaccination certificate, they will still be allowed into the stadium. As a result, the protection against corona within the stadium is not quite 100 percent, it is said.
The concept had already been tested before the EM at another Uefa event: the Supercup final between Champions League winners Bayern Munich and Europa League winners FC Sevilla (2: 1 nV). The test run at the end of September last year took place in front of a good 15,000 spectators. According to B + N, the concept has proven itself at the time, so that it can now be used in the four European Championship games in the Puskas Arena with the corona numbers falling.
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
