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Fritz Keller does not want to be part of “Football Ischgl”. “I myself will not travel to Budapest,” said the DFB president in an interview with the Sports Information Service, emphasizing: “We have to think ahead, but at the same time face the pandemic very responsibly.” The latter also promises to be done. UEFA – and yet you don’t want to miss your “pilot project” to give back to the spectators.
The Super Cup at the Hungarian Crown hotspot between Bayern Munich and Sevilla FC on Thursday (9 pm / Sky) will take place, with spectators. The European Football Union announced this upon request. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is also supposed to sit in the stands of the Puskás Arena, as if to show the whole world: not everything is so wild in Budapest!
“As safe as no game before”
Before that there had been intense discussions between all those involved, in addition to a ghost game, there was also a complete cancellation of the controversial meeting in the room. But in the end, the skeptics had no chance against the lobbyists of the powerful Hungarian association chief and UEFA vice president, Sándor Csányi. The Super Cup, supporters of UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin say, will be “safer than any other match”.
Markus Söder is at the forefront of those critics who simply shake their heads about it. The Bavarian Prime Minister had made the game a political issue with his statement about a possible “Ischgl football”. The great concern of the head of the CSU: a widespread event on the Danube as in the spring in the Austrian après-ski Mecca with hundreds or thousands of people infected throughout Europe.
UEFA states, however, that all possible precautionary measures would be taken. However, many fans, who initially welcomed the release of up to 20,000 seats (30 percent), now doubt it. Only 1,300 Bayern fans want to go to Budapest and the trend is falling. 2100 had tried to get one of the last 4500 tickets available. Only 500 trailers are expected to arrive from Seville. “It all makes no sense,” said SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach on t-online.de about the Uefa project that Ceferin had made a top priority. Lauterbach said it would be “a great gesture” if Bayern officials could give some kind of travel warning to their own fans.
But so far nothing has been heard from the management team around CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, although the Munich delegation is said to be significantly smaller than usual at such games. He seems to have adopted the Uefa saying of “taking a step towards normalcy”. Hansi Flick had also initially advocated for this. As the number of infections continues to rise at the scene, the coach has joined the skeptics. Alone: Flick feels helpless, and on the way to “offside” Budapest seeks an escape from sports. The silver trophy, which UEFA organized on a bridge over the Danube, would be “the icing on the cake” for Munich’s triple season, Flick said. But expect “a difficult game” against the winner of the Europa League.
Quarantine after the Super Cup trip
This Tuesday it was known that Bavaria fans would be traveling to the final of the Super Cup after returning to the crown or in quarantine. The Free State cabinet tightened its entry quarantine regulation and removed a previously provided exemption rule. According to this, sports fans are no longer exempt from the quarantine requirement if they remain in risk areas for less than 48 hours. This also applies to trips to cultural events or for leisure purposes.
“That particularly affects the Super Cup,” Prime Minister Söder said. The CSU coach again appealed for fans to refrain from visiting Champions League champions FC Bayern on Thursday against Europa League champions FC Sevilla. “Everyone should think twice about whether it makes sense, because Budapest is a high-risk area,” Söder said. The above rule of exception remains for business travelers.
Returnees from Budapest would have to be tested immediately, Söder said. “This is how we want to prevent a possible risk of infection.” Only after a medical certificate indicating that there is no infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, people are again exempt from home quarantine.
