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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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LIVING IN GERMANY

How to make the most of Germany’s long summer days

In Germany the sun sets late and rises early in the summer months. The Local's reporters share their favourite activities for taking advantage of the long hours of daylight.

Published: 20 June 2024 17:02 CEST
Updated: 21 June 2024 15:29 CEST
How to make the most of Germany's long summer days

Germany doesn’t quite get to see the “midnight sun” – how’s it going up there Norway? – but it is located far enough north to enjoy rather long days during the late spring and summer seasons.

The summer solstice, called Sommersonnenwende in German, marks the longest day and also the beginning of the summer season in the Northern Hemisphere.

In the town of Flensburg, which is near Germany’s northern border with Denmark, the sun sets at 10:06 pm and rises at 4:41 on the summer solstice, amounting to approximately 17 hours and 24 minutes of daylight.

Central and southern German cities get a little less daylight, but still enjoy late night sunsets and early morning sun rises. Berlin, for example, gets 16 hours and 50 minutes of daylight on the solstice. Munich gets just over 16 hours of light on the longest day.

Especially for people who moved to Germany from more southerly latitudes, watching the sunset at 10 pm or noticing the sky lighten at four in the morning can be a surreal experience.

But of course the flip side of long days in the summer are long nights in the winter, giving you all the more reason to take advantage of all the light while you can.

Here’s a few things to do with your extra daylight hours during the German summer:

Add outdoor sports to your ‘Feierabend’ routine

Germans place a high value on work-life balance, and this is perhaps best seen in the importance placed on the Feierabend, or your after-work time.

READ ALSO: Why every country should get on board with the German Feierabend

During the winter having a dinner date, or more simply a Feierabendbierchen, are the main after-work activities that come to mind. But during Germany’s long summer days, you still have plenty of daylight left to go skating in the park, or enjoy a bicycle tour of the city, even if you work until 6 pm or later.

sunset jog

Jogging, biking and other sports are all possible after work during Germany’s long summer days. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Peter Kneffel

Some people really take advantage of the extended light – using that extra time for physical activities that they might not otherwise get to do during work days. It’s not uncommon to see people stand-up paddle boarding on the river, or rock climbing, late into the evening in the summer.

Go for an early morning stroll

Germany’s early morning sunrises can be a bit of a controversial topic.

For the early birds, they offer an opportunity to get ahead of the day before your work day or other obligations begin. For the night owls who currently lack shutters, they can be an unwelcome wake-up call.

But with the sky lightening as early as 4:30 am, whether you’ve freshly woken up, or are heading home after a long night out, you may want to consider taking advantage of a unique opportunity for a morning walk. 

Especially for those who tend to sleep in, an early stroll can allow you to see the world anew – complete with birdsongs in the air and the smell of freshly baked bread wafting out of local bakeries.

Enjoy some of Germany’s summer events and festivals

The summer season is a good one for outdoor events and festivals in Germany, and especially in June and July, attendees can add a catching a late evening sunset to a fest day’s itinerary.

There are a number of festivals worth checking out in June in Germany, including some events scheduled for the longest day itself, such as this solstice celebration in Conneforde or Fête de la Musique in Berlin.

A couple others worth mentioning are the Tollwood Summer Festival in Munich or the Rose and Light performance night in Frankfurt’s Palm Garden.

Stay tuned for a list of July events we’ll be sharing soon.

Catch a film at an open air cinema

Germany loves open air cinemas – it’s home to hundreds of them – and a mid-summer eve is really the best time to experience one.

To find an outdoor theatre near you, try searching for ‘Freiluftkino’ + your city name. 

But be sure to keep languages in mind while looking over screening programs. If you don’t yet have the German skills to enjoy a movie auf Deutsche, you’ll want to look out for films marked OV (original version), OmU (original version with German subtitles) or OmeU (orginal version with English subtitles). 

an open air cinema

Spectators watch a film at the open-air cinema in Oranienburg Castle Park at dusk. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Jens Kalaene

Watch (or play) some football

This year, you have the added option of watching Euro 2024 football games – often late into the evening – until July 14th.

Of course watching football is something you can always enjoy in the comfort of your own home. But this year you can join in the real-world frenzy that is the UEFA Euros Championship outside at one of the official fan zones, or otherwise at your favourite beer garden, späti or sports bar with outdoor seating.

This has the added benefit of allowing you to watch the game, while also taking in a the summer breeze.

And if watching Die Mannschaft score a couple goals is particularly inspiring, you might still have enough light to head to your local park and kick a ball around after.

Take a wild dip in refreshing waters

Summer in Germany is often accompanied by at least a few heatwaves: a string of hot, sticky days when temperatures soar and it’s tempting to just stay indoors.

In warm weather, though, there’s nothing quite like venturing out to a picturesque lake or a beach along Germany’s rugged coastline and taking a wild dip.

Though you can’t expect temperatures as warm as the Mediterranean sea, that’s part of the charm: bathing in cool, refreshing waters is the ideal medicine for lethargy during those sweltering summer afternoons. 

There are a range of studies that show that outdoor swimming is good for the soul – not to mention great for your health. From releasing mood-enhancing endorphins to boosting immunity and improving cardiovascular health, it’s no wonder wild swimming is known as one of the best natural highs around. 

READ ALSO: ‘Go early and stay late’ – Your tips for making the most of Germany’s lakes

With reporting by Imogen Goodman

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