Bundesliga Ready for Return of Fans If Authorities Approve

Date: 05 August 2020 - 21:57

News ID: ۸۱۴۵۳

FRANKFURT, Germany (Dispatches) - Germany’s first and second division football clubs have said they were prepared to allow some fans back into stadiums next season if the country’s political authorities gave the green light later this month.
German Football League (DFL) CEO Christian Seifert said the possibility of fans in stadiums depended solely on political leaders giving the go ahead amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"If and when fans will return to the stadiums is not a decision for the DFL but for the political leaders,” Seifert told a news conference.
"The DFL does not expect or demand anything but we are preparing to take this small step (with fans in stadiums) when the time comes.
"Priority is not full stadiums but the health situation. We should not take unnecessary risks but we should also not capitulate and just expect it to go away.”
The health ministers of the individual German states are due to meet next week to discuss the matter and the new Bundesliga season starts on Sept 18. The German Cup first round starts a week earlier.
Seifert said that if fans were allowed into stadiums there would be no visiting supporters at least until the end of the year to minimize the risk of infection, no standing tribunes and no alcohol sales.