Augsburg’s manager Michael Ströll criticises politicians and Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder in no uncertain terms for his plans to only allow ghost matches to be played.
3G, 2G, 2G+ – and now, to make matters worse, the G that all clubs fear the most is looming: G for ghost games. An irritant word for Michael Ströll, who opposes the Bavarian state government’s plan. “Due to the sharp rise in the number of infections and the capacity utilisation of hospitals with COVID patients we can understand that spectator capacity must be reduced in the interests of infection protection,” explains the Augsburg manager.
However, he cannot understand a complete ban on fans in the stadium. “We are convinced that there is a feasible way between a sold-out stadium and ghost games. Spectators in open-air stadiums and infection control are not fundamentally mutually exclusive, even with the current infection figures. “
Seats in a “chequerboard pattern “
Actually, Augsburg are planning on a maximum occupancy of 25 percent on Saturday against Bochum. FFP2 masks are compulsory on the stadium grounds, including on the seats or standing areas. Seats will again be available in a “chequerboard” pattern, as at the start of the season, with free seats staggered in each case. Alcohol will not be served. Around 800 fans will be able to watch the game from the standing room.
The club has supported the political decisions from the beginning, but considers the threat of a ghost game to be excessive and not expedient. “If ghost games are ordered, the fans will go to the pubs or meet privately in closed rooms without masks,” said Ströll, who therefore sees no sense in the threatened tightening of the rules.
Populist slogans and restrictions on individual sectors of the economy do not get us anywhere, but only further divide society. For many, it is no longer comprehensible that certain areas of life should now pay the price for the misconduct of political leaders.
