Thomas Hitzlsperger, chairman of the board of VfB Stuttgart, criticizes the policy regarding audience numbers. Photo: Tom Weller/dpa. (Source: dpa)
Stuttgart (dpa) – CEO Thomas Hitzlsperger from VfB Stuttgart cannot understand how politicians are dealing with the admission of spectators to major events.
“We are of course happy about the signal that spectators will be allowed again,” said the 39-year-old of the German Press Agency. In the upcoming home game against Eintracht Frankfurt on February 5, the Bundesliga club, which is threatened with relegation, “could use all the support,” said the former national player.
“As far as the severe limitation of capacity is concerned, we agree with the statements made by the DFL and our colleagues from the league in the last few days,” said Hitzlsperger. The German Football League and several Bundesliga clubs have criticized the policy of not opening football stadiums to visitors.
“All available data show that football stadiums under 2G conditions and in compliance with the conditions and concepts worked out with the responsible authorities are not sources of infection,” says Hitzlsperger. “The current regulations ignore this and pose almost insurmountable challenges for all organized sport, both financially and organizationally as well as emotionally.” Events in sport and culture should “no longer be presented primarily as a source of danger”, according to the ex-professional, “but open up prospects again for vaccinated citizens”.
In Baden-Württemberg, up to 6,000 spectators will again be allowed in stadiums at the normal alarm level if the organizer applies the 2G plus rule. This was declared by Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) in the state parliament in Stuttgart. When working with the 2G rule, a cap of 3000 viewers applies. In North Rhine-Westphalia, only 750 spectators are currently allowed in stadiums, in Bavaria 10,000 visitors are now allowed in the arenas again.