Only apparently out of nowhere has there been a lot of rumor between Frankfurt and the country about how many spectators are allowed to enter the stadium in view of the currently somewhat tense Corona situation.
In the dispute - represented by two Green politicians - the question of these days culminates: What freedom can those who have recovered and who have been vaccinated twice enjoy, and is that fair compared to the others?
King football is advancing in a debate that is obviously too early for politics during the summer break.
Because no expert can predict with conviction and certainty whether a fourth wave of the pandemic will rocket up in Germany, what heights it will reach and - ultimately, it depends - how the health system will cope with it.
Science still needs time to evaluate the findings and studies from England, for example, where the vaccination rate was higher and freedom of movement was granted earlier.
No risk, no fun
The German principle of caution first is likely to be reluctantly abandoned. In any case, the low number of infections compared to other countries in Europe currently suggests that this strategy should be retained. But the pressure is increasing. Not least because the Bundesliga season starts in two and a half weeks. This is linked to the hope that tens of thousands of fans will again be able to take part and create an atmosphere that makes football so fascinating. That would be an extremely powerful symbol for the departure into finally more relaxed times, far beyond football.
The initially settled dispute in Frankfurt about whether a clarification on a directive is legally binding, whether the limit value of an incidence of 35 is set in stone and, above all, whether those who have recovered and those who have been twice vaccinated generally do not “count”, may seem fragmented and legally very special.
In this strange summer, and especially in autumn, with the greater risk of infection, it is likely to gain in importance the more the willingness to be immunized decreases.
No risk, no fun, the motto according to which the European Football Championship was celebrated at Wembley, is no solution.
But “football” experienced in person can very well be a catalyst for breaking reservations.
The more you get vaccinated, the better.
Even if it's “only” about getting to the stadium.