The first amateur footballers will start playing again this weekend, so the relaxation of the Corona requirements for sporting events came just in time. From now on, 3 G instead of 2 G applies to all coaches and players. According to SZ information, movement came into question when the President of the Bavarian Football Association, Rainer Koch, had the opportunity to point out a smoldering problem to Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) on the sidelines of the Bundesliga game FC Bayern against RB Leipzig.
The BFV found itself in a dilemma during the winter break: Of the 117,000 amateur kickers registered in Bavaria, 1575 are so-called contract amateurs, i.e. in an employment relationship. For employees, the 3-G rule applied until recently, but 2 G was intended for matches and training. Some contract players had contacted the association and vented their dissatisfaction with 2G in amateur football. The association showed understanding, but had no handle.
However, the clubs still have logistical problems: controlling spectators. Although the status of visitors to football games was downgraded from 2 G plus to 2 G, as was the case for professional games, there is now no need to check printed test certificates at the ticket booth.
Nevertheless, clubs need more volunteers than usual. But they also have to be found, because hiring additional external stewards who, for example, point out the obligation to wear masks on the edge of the field, is not planned for a lower-class club in the budget. However, the mask requirement continues to exist, even if in the past violations were mostly ignored, at least as long as viewers can keep a sufficient distance.
25,000 instead of 15,000 spectators are allowed in the Allianz Arena on Sunday for FC Bayern’s home game against Greuther Fürth. For all other stadiums and sports facilities in the city, an occupancy rate of 50 percent continues to apply.
This is not a problem for most clubs. Nevertheless, things are much easier now: “We often had men’s and youth games on the adjacent pitch at the same time, there would have been such a coming and going that we didn’t let any spectators in,” explains Michael Matejka from the regional league team SV Heimstetten. If now only the vaccination certificate has to be checked, that is possible again, which of course also means important income for the club.
However, the vaccination status of the team never seemed to have been a problem for him or for other Munich clubs. “We have a 100 percent vaccination rate,” says Walter Werner from FC Ismaning, for example. The Bavarian league starts on Saturday as the first amateur team in the district of Munich with a home game in the rest of the season.