Joshua Kimmich.
Sven Hoppe / dpa
The German Football Association (DFL) said on Tuesday, following the debate around Bayern Munich player Joshua Kimmich, that vaccination for professional football players could not be compulsory, as no legislation exists on this subject. .
The DFL said in a statement that making the vaccine or recovery from a Covid-19 infection mandatory for training and playing would violate the constitutionally protected right of players to practice their profession.
There is no law in Germany by which employers can demand this sort of thing, not even for healthcare workers like doctors.
According to the rules of the DFL, players and other staff members must be vaccinated, cured or tested regularly.
The statement also clarified that the clubs were not breaking the law by only accepting cured and vaccinated spectators in their stadiums.
This is due to individual club safety rules, approved by the respective health authorities, as part of general safety measures in relation to leisure. These have nothing to do with occupational safety rules for players.
The DFL also pointed out that more than 90% of professional footballers in Germany were vaccinated.
Kimmich confirmed last weekend that he had not yet been vaccinated due to questions about the possible long-term effects. However, he did not rule out getting the vaccine in the future, possibly very soon.
Bayern have recommended their players to get vaccinated and the German has been strongly encouraged to do so by some in the football and sports world.
On Tuesday, the Germany international received backing from Thomas Mertens, head of the German Standing Committee on Vaccination (Stiko), who criticized the emotional debate surrounding the player’s statement.
“It’s a personal decision by Kimmich and it should stay as it is. The debate around Kimmich is total nonsense, ”he told German newspaper Bild.
