OPINION
Criticism of the spirit of play
Whining on a high level: The professional football does not understand how good it goes to him
In November, the German football League stadiums remain empty. The professional clubs criticising the decision.
© Weber/ Eibner-Presse Photo / Picture Alliance
The League must plan to play in the coming weeks with Spirit. The associations criticised the decision of the policy. The is bold. The football should be practicing instead, in humility.
As the Chancellor and the Minister presidents of the 16 Federal States discussed on Wednesday about the new Corona-measures, was the fear of professional football great. There is a new danger threatened. It was to prevent a repetition of the disruption of the current season by any means. That is why Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, CEO of FC Bayern Munich, warned in advance of the meeting to the fact that the future of football is “standing on feet of clay”.
Rummenigges words seem to have been answered. The game operation of the first and second League will continue to run. However, without an audience. The professional clubs had no understanding. “The Fans and the club, building on, where possible, Hygiene and clearance rules almost exclusively implemented with discipline and have thus become their responsibility”, wrote the German football League (DFL) in a Statement. “It is therefore unfortunate, if this is temporarily possible.”
Not only the DFL is not exercised in accordance with the decision of the viewers is to ban criticism, also Borussia Dortmund’s mind the decision of the policy. In a letter to his Fans, the BVB wrote: “professional football is demonstrably not a driver of the pandemic. And, to be honest, no one can see the different. Against this Backdrop, it is not difficult to accept that facts are all that count.”
From an economic point of view, these statements are quite understandable. The Coronavirus is from the power of the professional clubs to create. FC Bayern München is expecting because of the lack of spectators revenues of around 100 million euros revenue – of the BVB, with 75 million. And yet, no expert believes that the kickboxing industry could be seriously in distress. The social importance of football is just too big. And with her economic interests.
Football clubs are even supported financially
In addition, the state makes the clubs not in the rain. Quite to the contrary. In may, the officials of the clubs managed to get a permission from the local authorities and the Länder for the continuation of the game operation. In France and the Netherlands, the season has ended, however, ahead of time. But also the help of the state is the privilege of a few professional clubs. So the Land of North Rhine-secured Westphalia, the sporty as well as economically-strapped FC Schalke 04 a guarantee of more than 30 million euros. The SV Werder Bremen and VfB Stuttgart, and even to state aid in the Form of multi-million KfW loans to get out of their predicament.
This is perfectly legitimate, if the associations can explain why you need such a loan. Only it seems so, as the German professional football of his privileges was not aware of. The Argument that the clubs have developed in the last few months after the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus with “great effort” hygiene concepts, which can now be applied again, at least, is applied thick, if not ridiculous. What the restaurateurs or the culture say? Have invested in the past few months, a lot of money in Hygiene and protection measures, and in November their shops, in contrast to the professional athletes tight.
In other sectors the Situation is much more dramatic. There are Solo self-employed who had to consume because of the Virus their savings; the Restaurant owners, the debt, because they can’t cover their running costs otherwise; artists, had Corona not a demand problem, and now by the state of Hartz IV will be offered.
The big difference is: These people have a in contrast to the Bundesliga, no real Lobby associations. The football may – in contrast to millions of Amateur athletes in this country, at least not yet play, the Show goes on, the TV revenue flowing in. Clearly, the League needs to make compromises. Like everyone in these times.
The professional football clubs would have been well-advised to recognize that you are stuck in a much more comfortable Situation than much of the country. Since it is hard to beat in audacity barely to be aware of his privileges not be aware of and to criticize instead of the current measures. The football industry would have had the Chance to practice restraint. It is quite obvious that a foreign word is humility, for the professional clubs.
