Wednesday March 24th 2021
Ex-manager annoyed with business
“Football is completely removed from real life”
Andreas Rettig sees the pursuit of profit in professional football as an evil. Because the goal of continuously increasing income means that the necessary restrictions do not materialize. For example in the corona pandemic, in which greed triumphs over reason. His conclusion is clear.
Ex-manager Andreas Rettig has again sharply criticized the professional football system for the ignorant handling of the corona pandemic and the increasingly excessive greed. The industry gave the impression that “you are completely removed from real life,” said the former managing director of the German Football League (DFL) in an interview with Sky Sport News: “We are trying to take away as much of the big cake as possible.”
In Rettig’s opinion, the reaction of football to the corona crisis differs significantly from other industries: “In the economy you adapt yourself and the processes to the coronavirus and the numbers. I expect that from the Bundesliga too. You have to think about that Even if I watch the internationals now – you have to rethink the mode. ” After the previous international game phase in autumn, several Bundesliga professionals tested positive after their return to the clubs.
While freedom of travel is not only restricted in Germany due to infection protection and many people even refrain from traveling to close relatives, in recent weeks there has been repeated violent criticism of the travel costs of football. FC Bayern, for example, flew to Qatar for the Club World Cup. Thomas Müller tested positive for the corona virus there, but this had no effect on the Munich team outside of quarantine for Müller.
The European Cup absurdities have also increased in recent weeks: Because the exit from Great Britain was only possible with mandatory quarantine due to the virus variant discovered there, the two duels each took place between Manchester City and Borussia Mönchengladbach and between RB Leipzig and FC Liverpool are all stuck in the Hungarian capital Budapest. Hoffenheim had to travel to Villarreal, Spain, for the Europa League away game against Norwegian representative Molde FK.
From Rettig’s point of view, the undesirable developments in the pandemic are the result of increasingly unbridled pursuit of profit. “The point has long been reached that you have to come to consistent decisions, even if a few income falls by the wayside,” said the 57-year-old. In his opinion, however, the trend is the opposite: “This is going in the wrong direction with ever larger steps.”
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