Corona endangers the game plan
Quarantine in the Maldives: Omikron becomes a problem for the Bundesliga
Stuck in quarantine in the Maldives: FC Bayern captain Manuel Neuer
© Ina Fassbender / AFP
Five corona cases at FC Bayern alone: In the Bundesliga, there is growing concern about dramatic staff shortages. Numerous clubs have reported infected players. The Omikron wave has apparently reached the league.
Manuel Neuer took it comparatively well. The Bayern keeper is currently in the Maldives. To his chagrin, he has tested positive for the coronavirus and is in domestic isolation. So for now he’s stuck in the vacation paradise in the Indian Ocean. The advantage: Instead of looking at the gray German winter, Neuer is likely to enjoy the turquoise blue sea and the white beaches under palm trees despite the involuntarily extended vacation. He will also be well looked after in the luxury resort where he is believed to have stayed.
It is said that Neuer is looking into the possibility of flying back home in a private jet. He will definitely miss the start of training in Munich on Monday afternoon, as well as the opening game for the second half against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday evening. Even if he jets to Munich prematurely: He is not allowed to free himself because he shows mild symptoms, as the club announced. The national goalkeeper will remain in quarantine for the full 14 days. This would mean that he would also be out of the game against 1. FC Köln.
Failures at numerous Bundesliga clubs
It is unclear whether the team-mates Kingsley Coman, Corentin Tolisso, Omar Richards and assistant coach Dino Toppmöller who have tested positive will also fail. That depends on whether you are symptom-free and are allowed to leave the quarantine early. The club did not announce whether the infected were infected with the Omikron variant. However, it can be assumed that in view of the high number of infections, the Omikron variant is used in Bavaria. The club therefore subjected the entire team to a PCR test. The results should be available in the course of Monday. There may be other positive cases.
Bayern has the hardest hit among the Bundesliga clubs at the moment, but the alleged Omikron wave hits numerous teams. Opening opponent Gladbach has four positive cases with Mamadou Doucouré, Joe Scally, Denis Zakaria and Keanan Bennetts. FC Augsburg, Hertha BSC Berlin, VfL Wolfsburg, Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund also complain about at least one case. In the 2nd division Werder Bremen reported five failures and therefore canceled the training camp in Spain at short notice.
This may just be the beginning
The increasing number of infections in the Bundesliga may just be the beginning. Wolfsburg’s managing director Jörg Schmadtke does not currently see the start of the second half of the Bundesliga in jeopardy, but expects the game to be postponed. “I have fears, even if not for the coming weekend. But I do believe that Corona will still play a role in the program,” Schmadtke told the “sports buzzer”. According to the DFL game rules, matches are canceled if a team has no more than 15 eligible footballers.
The Premier League is a cautionary example. A number of games were canceled there before Christmas. With a view to the season planning, this means a hassle of deadlines for some clubs. The only positive thing about the current development is that apparently no more severe disease courses can be recorded. This means that players are ready for action again more quickly. Frankfurt’s attacker Goncalo Paciencia has tested himself free and the shorter quarantine, which is being discussed by politicians, would also help ease the situation. “14 days quarantine for people who do not have a single symptom: We can improve a lot there,” said Eintracht trainer Oliver Glasner.
Sources:“sport show”, “kicker”, “Southgerman newspaper”, “Sports buzzer”, DPA