Berlin (dpa) – The goals are extraordinary in Corona times: Many second division clubs want to set up their training camps under the southern winter sun at the beginning of January before the start of the football year 2022.
Andalusia, Alicante, Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol – the main thing is Spain. But the popular holiday destination is currently a high-risk area, the number of new infections has been increasing rapidly for weeks despite a high vaccination rate of around 80 percent.
That is why the clubs exercise extreme caution on their business trips – after all, nobody wants to fall ill or be in quarantine before the second division restart (19th matchday from January 14th to 16th). Hamburger SV has a separate dining room in its hotel, and at Werder Bremen, the hotel staff is to be tested in addition to the team. The SV Sandhausen canceled its planned trip to southern Spain at short notice because of the “aggravated Corona situation”. FC Schalke 04 also decided not to go to Belek, Turkey.
Many professionals tested positive
Spain had one of the lowest corona numbers in Europe in autumn. But the seven-day incidence recently reached record levels despite the high vaccination rate and was 1086, after an annual low of around 18 had been recorded in mid-October. The number of deaths in Spain is comparatively low, however, and the situation in hospitals is largely under control.
The virus is also rampant among the clubs: “Covid-Alarm”, was the headline of the specialist newspaper “AS”. According to a list in the Madrid newspaper, more than one hundred first division professionals and more than one hundred second division players tested positive after returning from the Christmas holiday.
The new training year begins for HSV in Sotogrande: The northern Germans will fly to the high-risk area on January 2nd and set up camp for almost a week in a 20 square kilometer luxury resort in the province of Cádiz in Andalusia. There, the incidence values had shot up from just under 300 to around 900 within a week.
Competitors united on the plane
But the Resurgence 2022 mission should not be endangered by Corona in winter. The North German club does everything for this: The journey begins in its own charter jet. A special wing of the building is reserved for the HSV delegation in the hotel – with its own dining room. The places of the “Santa Maria Polo Club” are only available to the Hamburgers, training takes place behind closed doors.
Since the entire team is vaccinated, individual professionals are spared quarantine when they return to Germany. Ten days would otherwise be mandatory when entering from the high-risk area. A negative test can shorten it to five days.
In the league they are competitors, united on the plane: Herbstmeister FC St. Pauli and Werder Bremen will fly together by charter to the training camp in Alicante on Sunday. The Kiezkicker prepare in Benidorm. On January 9th we’re going back together. “Since Werder Bremen is completing a training camp not far from Alicante at the same time as we are, it was a good idea to travel together,” said St. Paulis sports director Andreas Bornemann. “I think we have found a sensible and resource-saving variant with it.”
Schalke cancels
Werder will train in Murcia. There the team should be completely in a bubble. The staff in the hotel should also be tested. Accommodation is shared with Cercle Bruges, and the people in charge are in constant contact with the people of Bremen about hygiene measures. The Bundesliga relegated player accepts the effort to give the new coach Ole Werner the chance to concentrate on working with the team for a week.
Fortuna Düsseldorf has regularly set up its winter training camp in Marbella since 2018, but as in the previous season, the camp had to be canceled at short notice due to the pandemic situation. As Fortuna announced, the association follows the recommendations of all relevant medical decision-making bodies that advise against a training camp due to the current infection situation. The team will now complete the preparation in Düsseldorf from Monday, January 3rd. 1. FC Heidenheim, on the other hand, will be based in Algorfa from January 2nd to 9th. Since, according to the club, all players have been vaccinated or have recovered, everyone should travel with them. Only the long-term injured striker Gianni Mollo (cruciate ligament tear) stays at home.
For the first time since 2011, Schalke wanted to be back in Belek – four days before the planned outbound flight was canceled. The decision was made “taking into account the current Corona situation and the ever-expanding Omikron variant,” said the Revierclub. You regret the cancellation, said sports director Rouven Schröder. “In the past few days, however, we have noticed that the risks of the trip have increased significantly and exceed the possible benefits. We have to live up to our responsibility towards all employees.”
Newcomer Hansa Rostock wants to continue to flee to Belek before winter: The Mecklenburgers will set up camp there from January 2nd to 9th. In contrast, all Bavarian clubs are staying “at home” – with the exception of a two-day team building event organized by FC Ingolstadt in Mittenwald. Hannover 96, Erzgebirge Aue and Dynamo Dresden also prefer to prepare at home. All 18 teams have planned test matches.
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