The rush at the stadium at the sports park is manageable. One hour until kick-off, the stewards are waiting for spectators. A couple looks in all sorts of jackets and bags for the necessary proof of entry and goes to the entrance. The vaccination certificate is scanned, the test evidence is viewed, and then everything is ready for a football evening.
Philipp Muschiol is “Head of Match Operations and Matchday” at Spielvereinigung Unterhaching and has been working for the club since 2017. As such, he is responsible for compliance with the applicable Corona regulations at home games of the regional league team, such as last Friday in the 4-3 win against Heimstetten and this Tuesday when SpVgg Schweinfurt receives 05. Then it says again: 2G plus with a maximum utilization of 25 percent of the stadium capacity. If you want to get in, you need proof of vaccination or recovery, as well as a current test. The security service SDP is responsible for the admission controls. Twelve stewards are in action, and due to the tightening, there have been an increase here.
Muschiol attaches particular importance to the safety meetings of the club, police, fire brigade and public order office before the game. How many spectators are expected? Where are these placed in the stadium? The club is hardly affected by the cap on capacity, currently only a few hundred come. Still, Muschiol says: “We’ll definitely take on the topic. That means a lot more effort, but all clubs in the first four leagues have that.” In addition, from last season, in the third division, one is already practiced when dealing with 3G at that time. They are well positioned with regard to the new requirements, says Muschiol. Most of the spectators who actually wanted to go to the stadium fulfilled the requirements, only in individual cases they had to remain tough and reject guests. Discussions about the sensibility of the measures tend to overtake Muschiol during the week when fans contact him with questions. Most questions can be answered and concerns allayed through dialogue, he says. Muschiol is well aware of his role: “We have a responsibility to society. If we have the privilege of playing football games with spectators, then we have to ensure the necessary security.”