Wednesday, January 06, 2021
Clubs do not want a special role
Vaccination is a sensitive issue in football
The start of vaccination against the coronavirus is rather slow in Germany. Football, which has a special role in pandemic and lockdown times anyway, is reluctant to ask about vaccinations for professionals. There should be no rushing ahead.
The Bundesliga does not want to have a special role in vaccinations against the corona virus and does not want to rush ahead. "We'll line up nicely at the back," said manager Horst Heldt from 1. FC Cologne. "First the elderly and people in the nursing homes and hospitals come. We footballers come sometime in June or July. We shouldn't push ourselves at that point," emphasized coach Marco Rose from Borussia Mönchengladbach.
While the slow start of vaccinations against the corona virus is hotly debated in Germany, those responsible for the Bundesliga do not want to claim a special role for themselves. The German Football League did not comment in detail when asked by the German Press Agency. The DFL pointed out that the medical-hygienic concept had been the basis for games under the known special circumstances for months, even without the players being vaccinated. In addition, the nationwide vaccinations had only recently started and given the clearly regulated vaccination strategy and prioritization of groups of people, there was no need for a short-term reference to football, according to the DFL.
Those in charge of the clubs and the DFL should be very well aware that they currently have a special role anyway, in that they can even practice their top-paying profession despite the nationwide lockdown. Even if they have had to do without spectators in the stadiums for weeks and will have to do without for some time. "Especially when you look to the left and to the right to see how many people are losing their jobs, then we can be happy that we can do our work," said FC Augsburg coach Heiko Herrlich.
There is still no clear opinion on the extent to which the clubs could impose compulsory vaccinations on their professionals. "When the time comes, we will coordinate with our doctor," explained Heldt: "Everyone in this country has the right to shape things as they see fit. I will not force anyone."
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