That has never happened before in the handball Bundesliga. A game cancellation only 30 minutes before the game starts.
TV teams and 750 fans were expecting the kick-off (8.30 p.m.) in Mannheim on Saturday for the Rhein-Neckar-Löwen game against the Füchse from Berlin, but the game was canceled at the last minute. Reason: Fresh corona cases among Berliners.
Usually games are canceled the day before, but here right before the warm-up. That was what happened.
In a quick test before leaving Berlin on Friday, all Füchse players were still negative. The testing on the match day in Mannheim then resulted in three positive cases, which were confirmed by on-site PCR tests.
Renewed quick tests by both teams upon arrival in the hall showed further positive results in the foxes’ squad in the evening. The Bundesliga game was then canceled.
The technical DHB delegate of the game, Lars Geipel (46 / former referee) at Sky: “There were these suspected cases before the game, then the entire Füchse team was tested again and there were positive results again. We then phoned the HBL and the game control center and decided to cancel the game. That is very extraordinary. I haven’t seen that in my referee career. “
Lion star Andi Schmid (38): “In these times you have to reckon with everything. We were all tested again at the entrance and found out in the cabin that there were cases with the foxes. It’s a shame we couldn’t play, but health comes first. “
Füchse sports director Stefan Kretzschmar (48): “It’s the only right decision not to whistle the game. The health of all players on the field, including the Rhein-Neckar Löwen, has absolute priority here. We hope that there will be no positive cases, which is unfortunately quite possible. “
The healthy players returned to Berlin in the team bus, while the four players who had tested positive so far took a private car. Upon arrival in Berlin, the entire squad had to do a PCR test. All are voluntarily in quarantine at home. The results are still pending.
By the way: All Füchse players are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
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