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He is a lawyer and has held various positions at the German Football Association (DFB) since 1996.
As the 1st DFB Vice President, who he has been for amateur football and affairs of regional and state associations since October 2013, he has a closer look at the situation in amateur football, especially in these times.
Whether the Corona restrictions, football from the fourth division - only the Regionalliga West and Southwest are currently in play - is idle.
WORLD:
Mr. Koch, how do you assess the situation in amateur football?
Rainer Koch:
He needs a tangible perspective, a signal as to when we can go back to the sports fields - step by step, very responsibly, with the hygiene concepts of the clubs, which have already proven themselves at the restart last summer.
Now amateur football, with its meticulously worked out and verifiably almost perfectly implemented hygiene concepts, must urgently be seen by politicians as an integral part of the solution when we talk about easing.
Leaving all popular sport completely out of the discussion will otherwise have dire consequences for our society, especially for children and young people, as Ralf Rangnick (
former trainer RB Leipzig, editor
)
recently
made clear.
Nobody understands when alternating lessons take place in schools, but in the afternoon the children are not allowed to train together in the fresh air under supervision and compliance with any necessary rules.
Organized club sport offers a very important anchor here.
As an open-air sport, football in particular has proven that its concepts are not a source of risk
Rainer Koch has been the 1st DFB Vice President for amateur football since October 2013
Source: pa / GES / Markus Gi / Markus Gilliar
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WORLD:
You emphasize the importance of amateur sport.
Koch:
We would like to see a much greater awareness and more sensitivity for the importance of amateur sport - from a social perspective, but also in terms of general health promotion.
According to studies by the World Health Organization (WHO), around 80 percent of boys and 88 percent of girls in Germany did not exercise enough before Corona.
Popular sport must therefore become even more important and must not be neglected.
Our sports clubs offer an excellent basis on which to build on.
It is important to protect and promote this sustainably.
WORLD:
Are you worried about the future of amateur football?
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Koch:
It is not appropriate to throw doom scenarios on the wall and stir up further fears.
There is no valid, comprehensive factual basis for this.
The DFB is currently planning a survey among Germany's amateur clubs in order to get a more detailed picture.
The experience from last year was that during the first lockdown there was a noticeable decrease in new members joining clubs, while the number of members leaving was relatively stable compared to previous years.
After the restart, there was a clear catch-up effect - also when issuing new player passes - which was stopped again by the second lockdown.
We can see that many members show solidarity - especially in rural areas.
According to our observations, more significant numbers of resignations tend to concern large clubs that work with courses on a daily basis, for example.
WORLD:
How is the financial situation at the clubs?
Koch:
In a survey by the BFV among Bavarian clubs in December 2020, among other things, it came out that fewer clubs perceived a threat to their existence than in spring 2020, when the pandemic was new.
The economic problem in amateur football is not so much the entry fees for the games, which are currently no longer available.
The fact that the clubs lack their events such as summer festivals or youth tournaments as a source of income is a burden for the budget.
Leases for club restaurants also play an important role in some cases.
It is important that the clubs can make their original offers again - namely to do sports.
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WORLD:
What about help and support?
Koch:
With regard to financial aid, the picture varies depending on the federal state. In Bavaria, for example, the lump sum for trainers was doubled, in other federal states there was direct aid from the state.
Direct financial aid from the DFB is not legally permitted; it would also be unrealistic in a sustainable, comprehensive form.
Hypothetical example: Each club would receive 5000 euros, then that would be a total volume of more than 122 million euros - with no long-term effect.
The associations must convince with programs and content, work together with the clubs to persuade popular sport.
As in many other areas of society, the pandemic is a magnifying glass that makes grievances clearer and increases urgency.
The DFB and its member associations are aware of this, and we are continuing to tackle this task alongside the clubs.
With hope instead of fear.
So that the huge potential of amateur sport can develop again in the future.