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Dortmund chief argues against football behind closed doors

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has criticised the decision to put Bundesliga matches back behind closed doors due to high numbers of Covid-19 in Germany.

Published: 8 January 2022 10:50 CET
Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke (L), wearing a face mask, watches a German Bundesliga football match
Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke (L), wearing a face mask, watches a German Bundesliga football match in 2020. Bundesliga games must be played without spectators currently. Michael Sohn / POOL / AFP

Last month, the government ordered Bundesliga games to be played without spectators to try to curb the spread of the virus.

READ ALSO: Covid infections rise in Germany as Omicron spreads

Dortmund are second in the Bundesliga table behind Bayern Munich.

Matches in Germany’s top flight resume Friday in front of empty terraces after a two-week winter break, but Watzke argued for allowing small numbers of fans to return.

“I am not interested in now filling up stadiums, that would be completely the wrong signal to send,” Watzke told magazine Der Spiegel.

“But I think 10 per cent of the stadium capacity would be appropriate.”

Dortmund’s impressive Signal Iduna Park stadium can hold 80,000 and Watzke wants to see it “even 10 per cent” full.

“Eight thousand spectators could be distributed in such a way that they have virtually nothing to do with each other physically,” Watzke said.

“With 8,000 spectators at our stadium, the risk of infection would be low, and to be honest, everyone knows that.”

Watzke says each Dortmund home game behind closed doors costs the club four million euros ($4.5 million) in lost matchday revenue, calling it “hardly economically viable”.

He warns that some German football clubs may be forced out of business unless fans are allowed to return soon.

“This will kill off an entire industry,” said Watzke, the new chairman of the German Football League (DFL) supervisory board.

“In addition, the connection between the club and its fans will be destroyed to a large extent.

“Some of the spectators will not come back.

“As a result, we will have even bigger problems in five or 10 years.”

Watzke also echoed the sentiments of Union Berlin president Dirk Zingler by suggesting “football is being used for symbolic politics” in the fight against the virus.

“Explain to me why music halls can be filled twice a day with 750 people, at 45 per cent capacity, but no spectators are allowed in big open-air stadiums,” he asked.

“It does make you feel a bit let down.”

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EURO 2024

What to know about Germany’s extra border checks for Euro 2024

People travelling into Germany should expect more random checks at borders from Friday ahead of the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament.

Published: 7 June 2024 09:56 CEST
What to know about Germany's extra border checks for Euro 2024

Germany is preparing to host Euro 2024 – a football tournament that will see 24 teams compete in 51 games on 22 match days.

It kicks off on June 14th in Munich with hosts Germany taking on Scotland and ends a month later on July 14th.

Security is a huge factor for the event and the government said last year that border checks would be tightened during the competition. Millions of visitors from all over the world are expected in Germany at the stadiums and fan zones across the Bundesrepublik. 

What do I need to know about the border checks?

On Friday June 7th, border checks were tightened and temporary controls were brought into force ahead of the event 

Federal police will be stepping up checks at all German borders, including temporary controls at Denmark, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg where there were previously no checks.

According to the Interior Ministry, travellers from the Schengen zone may also be checked during air travel, at ports and on trains. The controls will be carried out “flexibly and depending on the situation”, the ministry said.

Travellers should be prepared for possible longer waiting times at borders – and they should carry valid ID and any travel documents they need to enter Germany. 

READ ALSO:

What are the checks for?

As you would expect, a massive sporting event like the Euros requires tactical planning around keeping people safe. 

There will be tight security at stadiums where matches are being played as well as the extra border controls where police want to stop potential offenders from entering in the first place. 

Authorities are on high alert for the possibility of terror attacks and general violence. 

“Our focus ranges from the threat of Islamist terror to hooligans and cyber attacks,” said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser in a statement.

“The federal police will protect Germany’s borders, airports and rail traffic.”

READ ALSO: The German stadiums hosting Euro 2024 and how to get to them

Existing controls at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland were recently extended by six months until mid-December.

These were first ordered by the Interior Ministry in October 2023 due to a surge in so-called irregular migration, and have been extended several times. 

The aim is to combat people smuggling and limit the number of people entering Germany illegally. Border controls at the German-Austrian land border have been in place since autumn 2015.

When do the temporary controls expire?

The temporary controls at all German internal Schengen borders, such as with France, will last until July 19th – a few days after the final match on July 14th at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.

Faeser recently said that the security situation was “tense” amid increased terror attacks in Europe. 

However, authorities have stressed that there are no indications of any planned attacks in Germany during Euro 2024.

Police unions say that local security forces are well equipped to protect the public during the championship. But there will still be some help from abroad. 

During the tournament around 580 police officers from neighbouring countries will be deployed along with German officers, particularly for patrols at the venues and on trains. 

According to the ministry, this is part of a special co-operation mission with the security authorities of the participating, neighbouring and possible transit countries. The International Police Cooperation Centre (IPCC) in Neuss (North Rhine-Westphalia) has been coordinating this. 

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