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What has the Federal Council for professional sports decided?
At 4.15pm, Federal President Simonetta Sommaruga and Federal Councilors Alain Berset and Guy Parmelin will appear in front of masked media representatives and cameras in Bern on Wednesday afternoon and announce Corona’s latest measures. Unsurprisingly, professional soccer and ice hockey clubs are also severely affected.
The government is acting: since midnight, only events with a maximum of 50 people have been allowed, which is equivalent to ghost games. The first to be affected is the maximum fight in the Challenge League between Stade-Lausanne-Ouchy and GC.
How long do the measures apply?
That depends on how the number of new corona infections develops. Yesterday there were 8,616 new cases. The 7-day average is 5994 cases. That’s 88 percent more than the previous week. There are no clear guidelines on the values at which spectators can return to the stadiums, as the clubs expected. The Minister of Health, Berset, says that the measures are indefinite, that does not mean that they will be applied for a long time. They would last as long as necessary.
Will the mosaic still exist?
Since last week, the cantons have also ensured different conditions at sporting events. To the west and with the canton of Bern, a maximum of 1,000 fans or none were allowed, while in the east of the country the capacity of two-thirds still applied. FC St. Gallen could have played in front of 11,500 or the ZSC Lions in front of 7,662 fans, while YB or SCB had to do without spectators. “The cantons can go further. The measures that the cantons have already taken are still applied, ”says Berset. But with a difference of 50 visitors to the game, there is now practically equal opportunity, at least when it comes to the audience question.
What are the economic consequences?
“In the medium term, the clubs absolutely depend on being able to play again in front of an audience. A prolonged ban on major events represents an existential threat to clubs, ”writes the Swiss Football League. It sounds the same with the hockey league: One faces “huge additional financial challenges,” “as the significant (survival) income from the ticketing and catering areas is completely eliminated. With a longer phase with ghost games, the clubs would be seriously threatened in their existence. “
In his extrapolation, SCB coach Marc Lüthi last lost 15 million francs for his club in ghost games. When the capacity was reduced to 6,750 seats, the Bernese budgeted, thanks to pay cuts, with a minus 4.5 million, that it would have been manageable once.
Are the clubs going bust now?
Clubs should be able to survive in the short term, for example because subscribers and sponsors have already paid; this money will not be available later if it has to be repaid or compensated for the next season. Additionally, interest-free crown loans from the federal government, which councils approved in the fall session, will soon be available as soon as the Federal Council has drafted the ordinance. That should be the case in December. These can represent up to a quarter of a club’s operating expenses for the 2018/2019 season. But that only postpones the problem. For this reason, both the football and ice hockey leagues insist on the contributions of A-Fonds-perdu in order to absorb involuntary losses. “The issue of granting reduced hours to professional athletes should also be examined,” says FCZ president Ancillo Canepa.
Will the game continue?
In soccer, you learned to live with ghost games when you resumed last season. In ice hockey, however, the playoffs were canceled in the spring when no more spectators were allowed. “Despite the restrictions, the league and its clubs are doing everything in their power to maintain the championships,” says the SFL. Also in the National League, the vast majority of clubs were in favor of continuing the season before the Federal Council’s decision. A three-quarter majority would be required for an interruption. After the government’s decision and the virtual round table with the Minister of Sports, Viola Amherd, and sports representatives, discussions began yesterday night via video calls on how to proceed.
In addition to the spectator restrictions, there is the problem that recent positive cases among players have increased and entire teams (yesterday the SCRJ Lakers) were quarantined, causing game postponements. The SFL now writes that it is urgently necessary “that if there are positive test results in a club and if the concept of protection is consistently met, the entire team should not be quarantined, but rather that the people involved have to isolate themselves. “.
What about protection concepts?
The frustration between clubs and leagues is great. Was all the effort and expense in vain? For example, the SCB says it has spent half a million on its protection concept. And Berset took a look at the kybunpark two weeks ago and praised the one in St. Gallen. For the moment, however, the concepts are being put away in the drawers in the hope that they can be brought out again as soon as possible.
What do the leagues and clubs say?
“We survived the first wave and we will do everything possible to ensure that FC St. Gallen 1879 also dominate this event. Our conviction that solidarity is not a one-way street will not change, ”says FCSG President Matthias Hüppi on the club’s website. “Thanks to our unique solidarity at the club, but also with shareholders, fans, sponsors and patrons, we continue on the path we have chosen. Always aware that the development of the pandemic will affect the entire society and with the hope that the ordered measures will not cease to take effect ”.
FCZ boss Canepa says: “The Federal Council’s decision to allow only ghost games was to be expected. Of course, we accept that overcoming the crisis in the crown has the highest priority. However, we would like to point out that this ban will also cause significant financial harm to us. This damage cannot be offset by operational activity. Since March of this year we have faced significant revenue shortfalls. “
And the president of HC Lugano, Vicky Mantegazza, writes: “Once again, the Swiss authorities have not recognized the value of sport, which creates around 100,000 jobs in Switzerland.” And the National League and the Swiss League write about the reduction to 50 people: “This is a big setback!”
And the youth teams?
Children up to 16 years old can continue to exercise. But the older youth look down the drain. The associations that campaigned for their junior teams and argued that at the highest level of protection concepts that are almost equivalent to those of the professionals were not heard.
Can we still play sports?
Sports and cultural leisure activities are only allowed indoors with up to 15 people if a sufficient distance can be maintained and a mask is worn. In large rooms, such as tennis courts, no mask is required. Outdoors you just have to keep your distance. All contact sports are prohibited in the amateur area.
