(Sports, International Football) After Christmas, German professional sports such as the Bundesliga return to the "ghost game"

Berlin, December 22 (Xinhua) -- According to the agreement reached by the German federal government and the state governments on the 21st, from December 28 after the end of the Christmas holiday, cross-regional large-scale events such as professional sports leagues will only be held without live spectators, which means that the Bundesliga will have to re-enter the state of "ghost matches" (empty matches).

The German Professional Football Federation (DFL, hereinafter referred to as the "Union") issued a notice on the 21st that in view of the federal government's assessment of the current epidemic situation and the analysis of the possible spread of the Omiljung variant by experts, ensuring the normal operation of public health and medical systems has the highest priority. The temporary restrictions imposed by the federal and state governments on spectators on the field are deplorable but understandable. The league hopes that there will be no more national no-spectator competitions and reiterates its call for everyone to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible.

Also affected are professional leagues such as basketball, ice hockey, handball, volleyball, etc., which are more dependent on stadium ticket revenue than in the Bundesliga. Holtz, general manager of the German Basketball Professional League (BBL), said in an interview with Deutsche Zeitung: "What happens after the next mutant strain comes out? Do you want to go on like this forever? Basketball clubs are in a very bad situation, and not all teams will survive. ”

The previous fan admission in the Bundesliga has been different in different divisions, and some home games have been implemented in accordance with the requirements of the local government, and the requirements for fans to be vaccinated, virus tested and scaled in the areas that allow fans to enter are different. The Bundesliga has come to an end in the first half of the season and will begin the second half on 7 January 2022. (End)