Almost a week before the next Corona summit of the heads of government on January 24, the four most important sports leagues in Germany are writing to the Chancellery and Prime Minister. They are promoting a return to “location-based concepts” in the viewership question and an end to the blanket ban.
Empty grandstands pose major problems for professional sport.
imago images/Sven Simon
The three-page paper is signed by the managing directors of the Basketball Bundesliga (Dr. Stefan Holz), the German Ice Hockey League (Gernot Tripcke), the German Football League (Donata Hopfen) and the Handball Bundesliga (Frank Bohmann). The background is the decision for nationwide ghost games shortly before Christmas. The pandemic is causing “massive problems” for clubs and leagues. “In some places, even the existence is threatened,” write the representatives of the Initiative Profisport Germany, thus depicting a bleak situation.
The quartet also points out that professional sport has been involved from the beginning of the COVID crisis: “We have supported all campaigns to contain and fight the pandemic: from #westayhome to low-threshold vaccination offers. We remain committed here. Politics and society can rely on us.” Of course, “protecting the health system and maintaining critical infrastructure” have priority, the managers explain. And further: “In the event that the hospitalization rate remains largely stable and the success of the booster campaign with a significant reduction in the risk of infection and the risk of a severe course of the disease in fully vaccinated people continues to be confirmed, we are keeping an eye on the timely implementation of opening scenarios appropriate for the admission of spectators in professional sports.” They are promoting a return to location-based concepts and a move away from blanket bans at the January 24 summit.
It is incomprehensible that professional sport is currently objectively worse off than other areas of life in many areas.
“In the Corona crisis, leagues and clubs have shown that they act responsibly,” they argue. On the one hand, this is correct in the scope of the big picture, on the other hand, individual athletes with actions that are described as negligent, to mitigate, have caused heads to shake again and again. However, associations and clubs have tirelessly promoted vaccination and caution, and have also developed a hygiene concept that is respected worldwide. “Against this background, it is incomprehensible that professional sport is currently objectively worse off than other areas of life in many areas,” Hopfen, Holz, Tripcke and Bohmann conclude their letter.
