Covid-19: Clubs grumble as Bundesliga goes back behind closed doors

The Bundesliga goes back behind closed doors this weekend with Borussia Dortmund leading the complaints against the government’s decision to lock out fans in an attempt to help curb record coronavirus numbers.

On Friday, Germany reported a record 18,681 new cases of Covid-19 in the previous 24 hours.

Amid measures announced Wednesday, all professional sport, including the Bundesliga, must be played behind closed doors until at least the end of November, a return to the end of last season when terraces had to remain empty.

The clubs can survive on money from the sale of the German Football League’s broadcasting rights, but their funds are hit hard by a lack of matchday revenue.

Christian Seifert, managing director of the German Football League (DFL) has advised clubs to take cost-cutting steps.

“It would be very optimistic to assume that large amounts of spectator income will flow this season,” Seifert told daily Handelsblatt on Friday.

“Every club is well advised these days to reduce fixed costs. And that includes personnel costs.”

Since the season started in mid-September, Germany’s top-flight clubs had been allowed to admit small number of fans, providing their hygiene plan was approved by the local health authority, but even that is now on hold.

Dortmund has posted an open letter on their website questioning the decision to exclude spectators again despite having had their ‘complex hygiene concept’ approved.

“It’s difficult to accept that facts do not count,” said the statement.

“Every spectator in our stadiums was disciplined. Nobody was infected in the fresh air.

“However, we accept the situation as it is and continue to do our small part to flatten the curve,” the club said, urging fans to “keep their distance, wear masks, avoid gatherings and parties”.

Dortmund’s home league showdown with Bayern Munich on November 7 will be behind closed doors.

Yet 11,500 fans were allowed to watch a 4-0 home win over Freiburg in early October.

As the rate of infection has risen, so the allowed attendance limit dwindled to just 300 for last Saturday’s 3-0 win over Schalke in the Ruhr derby.

Dortmund’s stance is backed by a study of large events, published Thursday, which found that if hygiene measures are followed, the risk of infection would be “low to very low overall”.

The results are from August’s ‘RESTART-19’ project when scientists collected data from an indoor concert in Leipzig attended by 1,400 volunteers.

For European champions Bayern Munich, all home games since the pandemic hit Europe in mid-March have been behind closed doors on advice from the local health authority.

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