With the beginning of the cooler season, the number of corona cases also increases. In the Bundesliga, too, more coaches and players are being hit again. How are the clubs reacting?
Manuel Neuer and Leon Goretzka caught it with the national soccer team. Later, their club colleagues Joshua Kimmich and Thomas Müller were also presented with positive corona tests by the German champions Bayern Munich.
SC Freiburg coach Christian Streich was unable to attend his team’s Europa League game because of the infection. Just a few prominent names. You will not be the last corona infected from the league. Corona was never gone, but is now bringing more memories. The clubs have different strategies.
Where were the last cases?
Among other things, at FC Bayern, which could also be due to a kind of locational disadvantage. The Oktoberfest drove the corona numbers in Munich to enormous heights. The seven-day incidence in the Bavarian capital was 813.7 on Thursday. It cannot be ruled out that the virus from the beer tents also reached Säbener Straße. FC Bayern had already reported infections in national team players Thomas Müller and Joshua Kimmich last Saturday, and in September Manuel Neuer and Leon Goretzka had to take a break after positive tests.
But even where there was no official Oktoberfest fun, there were positive cases. In Berlin, Union players Timo Baumgartl and Tim Maciejewski and head coach Urs Fischer tested positive. At VfL Bochum Kevin Stöger falls out after a positive test. At SC Freiburg, coach Christian Streich and his assistants Florian Bruns and Lars Voßler were hit – initially, however, no players, as the sports club announced.
In Mönchengladbach, the head coach had to switch to the home office: It is not yet clear whether Daniel Farke will be able to look after Borussia in the home derby against 1. FC Köln (3.30 p.m. / live on DAZN). On Thursday, Farke spent the fifth day in isolation – for as long as people who tested positive have to at least shield themselves. The club did not say how he is currently doing or whether he has now tested negative for the virus.
Why are cases piling up again?
The days are getting shorter, darker and colder, and people are increasingly being drawn into closed rooms, where the risk of infection is higher than outdoors. And the “seasonality” of the corona viruses described by many virologists does not stop at football either. In addition, Bundesliga professionals have a lot of contacts through a lot of travel and being together on the bus or in the cabin.
How are the clubs reacting?
Very different. There is continuity at Schalke, in Augsburg, Cologne or Bochum. “We’ve had our protection concept for months, it’s very, very high. Part of that is the constant observation and assessment of the situation. At the moment we don’t see any reason for further adjustments,” says Schalke’s spokesman Marc Siekmann. “We carry out quick tests on every player every day, masks are worn and distances are respected.”
Not all clubs test their players daily, FC Augsburg or Mainz 05, for example, only test when symptoms appear. At Eintracht Frankfurt or 1. FC Köln there is also normal operation when it comes to Corona. Stricter measures are not planned, “but of course we have the issue on the screen and deal with it responsibly,” says FC spokeswoman Lil Zercher.
The Bremen leadership promises more prevention. “The topic is annoying, but we never tire of raising awareness among the players,” said Werder football boss Clemens Fritz. And: “We will certainly tighten up one or the other thing in order to get through the autumn and winter safely.”
At RB Leipzig, testing never stopped anyway. Those responsible for the lawn ball athletes are also considering reducing face-to-face events such as fan meetings in order to avoid additional contacts outside of the game.
VfL Bochum, on the other hand, wants to remain approachable. “As an association, we are committed to being close to the people, so we have no problems with no more than ten seconds of contact in the fresh air,” says club spokesman Jens Fricke. “But of course we also strictly adhere to the guidelines of the DFL.”
What does the DFL specify?
According to information from the German Press Agency, the German Football League (DFL) sent the clubs a paper in September that contained a number of suggestions for pandemic precautions. However, the league association does not make any mandatory specifications. That was different at times in previous years, when a strict hygiene concept regulated how often the professionals had to be tested. The association is now relying on the personal responsibility of the clubs and players – those involved should not lack experience in dealing with the pandemic.
When are game cancellations imminent?
The DFL decision of May 30 of this year remains unchanged, according to which games can only be canceled due to corona if at least eleven players are in quarantine or isolation at a club.
What can the fans in the stadium expect?
That depends primarily on the pandemic events in the individual federal states. If the situation deteriorates drastically, the federal states can order masks to be worn at major outdoor events. So-called ghost games are not part of the catalog of measures.
Source: Stern
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.
