Union Berlin wants all spectators to undergo corona tests for a full stadium

NAfter the publication of his ambitious idea, Bundesliga Club 1. FC Union Berlin wants to push ahead with the plan for a season start in the full stadium. “First talks with possible partners” to implement the concept with tests for the corona virus for all stadium visitors would already be running, said the Köpenicker. If the framework conditions are specified, the concept should be presented to the responsible health authority and the state of Berlin, and then also publicly. But that would take a little longer, said a Union spokesman on Friday evening.

With its project, which has so far been unique in Germany, Union is making a major stir in the public debate about when professional football will again be possible in front of spectators. From the first day of the upcoming season at the latest, the club wants to achieve “full capacity” at the An der Alten Försterei stadium. With the help of corona tests, this should be possible for all 22,012 cardholders and all those present on site.

“Our stadium experience does not work at a distance, and if we are not allowed to sing and scream, it is not Union,” said club president Dirk Zingler: “At the same time, the safety of our visitors and employees is at the center of our considerations. We want to make sure that nobody gets infected in our sold-out stadium. That applies to Unioners and equally to guest fans. “

Union bears the costs

The plan means an extraordinary organizational and economic effort. The club wanted “to bear the costs for the implementation of the necessary measures themselves”. Possibilities for using the necessary test capacities within 24 hours are currently being explored. “As soon as the organizational framework has been specified, Union Berlin will present the concept to the responsible health department of the Treptow-Köpenick district and the state of Berlin,” the statement continued.

“Access to the stadium is then obtained with a valid ticket and a negative test result, which must not be older than 24 hours at the time the stadium is closed,” the message said. Different possibilities would be examined “to be able to use the sufficient test capacities within 24 hours.”

Large-scale events with more than 1000 people are currently prohibited in the capital until October 24th. The start of the new Bundesliga season is scheduled for September 18.

Local concepts are required

Decisive for a (partial) admission of spectators were the local concepts of the clubs, which had to be approved by the responsible health authorities on site, the German Football League announced on Friday about the requirements of the Federal Ministry of Health.

Regardless of local concepts for a return of visitors, the umbrella organization of the 36 professional clubs in the first and second league wants to use the ghost game concept of the “Task Force Sports Medicine / Special Game Operation” for the new season again for occupational health and safety related to the game and training operations create.

In a guest post in the FAZ, the pharmacologist Prof Fritz Sörgel had warned strongly this week not to let spectators into the stadiums too quickly. He warned that a soccer game could quickly become a super spreader for the virus.

“It is to be hoped that the DFL, and other leagues in Europe, will not be tempted to underestimate the numerous games in August and September at higher ambient temperatures and possibly take low infection rates as an invitation to politicians to quickly increase the number of spectators to persuade, ”wrote Sörgel in his guest post. “Stadiums filled with already 50 percent of the maximum capacity and a few super spreaders – you can imagine the result.”