Football EM 2021: 14,500 spectators in Munich in June - really?

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The trembling about Munich is over. The tricky fan question remains a major political issue until the European Championship kick-off against world champions France. At the end of his national coaching era, Joachim Löw will get three European Championship home games in the Allianz Arena - and due to the relentless pressure from Uefa, despite the Corona crisis, they should even take place in front of at least 14,500 fans. The Executive Committee of the European Football Union, with Bayern boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as a new member, waived the withdrawal of the European Championship for the Bavarian capital, which had been feared until recently.

The political struggle over the emotional audience question is far from over just seven weeks before the start of the tournament. In their interpretation of the fan decision, Uefa, German politics and the German Football Association were still very far apart. The question is too explosive in the persistently tough times of the pandemic. "Everything is subject to the pandemic situation," said State Chancellor Florian Herrmann (CSU) on Friday, contradicting the clear Uefa statement of a fixed audience decision.

"The Uefa Executive Committee met today via video conference and was informed that the responsible authorities have approved the implementation of all four Uefa Euro 2020 games in Munich with at least 14,500 spectators, which is why the city has been confirmed as the venue," it said on the other hand, in a clearly formulated communication from the association.

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Munich's Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter saw the situation very differently.

"I am pleased that Uefa has apparently kindly recognized that Munich is an attractive location even without audience guarantees," said the SPD politician on Friday.

Relative statements contradicting this style also came from Berlin.

"It will only be possible to make it dependent on the occurrence of the infection whether there is an opportunity to let spectators into the stadium or not," said a spokesman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior shortly before the decision.

Germany, the important football market

At the Uefa headquarters in Nyon on Lake Geneva, however, the issue was considered to be settled in its own right.

Otherwise Munich would hardly have gotten the green light and, like Dublin and Bilbao, would have had to accept a humiliating rejection.

Apparently, both camps are playing for time.

For Uefa, too, an affront to Germany as an important football market would have meant bad publicity at the latest after the Super League drama.

"We have worked closely with the host associations and local authorities to ensure a safe and festive environment for the games and I am delighted that we can welcome spectators to all games for a celebration of national team football across the continent." , said President Aleksander Ceferin after his European football government went on video.

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The happy-sounding words of the association boss were preceded by months of tough negotiations under the Uefa dictate of a fan permit.

The threat of an embarrassing EM withdrawal for German football ultimately had an effect - although in Germany the pandemic restrictions in other areas of life are not being relaxed.

Ironically, at the peak of the season in summer, fans should be able to attend an important football match for the first time this year - provided that the concerns of politicians do not come into play.

Nobody is allowed in at the cup final

The DFB had previously excluded spectators at their own cup final on May 13th in Berlin and now had to locate themselves between the contradicting positions.

The European Championship games in Munich will "continue to be carefully and responsibly prepared and organized," said Philipp Lahm, who is also the chief organizer of the European Championship 2024 in Germany.

“Corona determines our entire life.

The health and protection of people are our top priority, ”Lahm emphasized.

Association boss Fritz Keller said the games could "maybe even take place in front of an audience", "if the pandemic development allows".

Philipp Lahm warns of coming out

While 800 footballers encourage their colleagues to come out, the former national player Philipp Lahm would advise a homosexual professional not to come out in public even today.

Above all, the 2014 world champion warns of the reactions of spectators at away games.

Source: SID

Five days after moving into the team camp in Herzogenaurach, Franconia, the hot tournament phase begins for the national team with the bang against world champion France on June 15.

A total of 186 kilometers lie between the home and venue of the DFB stars, instead of the possible 1000 kilometers in London's Wembley Stadium, which is traded as a substitute.

An advantage for Löw, also in the group matches against European champions Portugal (June 19) and Hungary (June 23).

"Also for the further planning from the point of view of the national team, it is of course a good signal that Munich will remain the EM location." You play "in a sense on the doorstep," said DFB director Oliver Bierhoff.

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The quarter-finals on July 2nd will also take place in Munich.

This knockout game had been on the brink until recently, as Uefa had hoped for a lot more spectators at another venue.

According to the schedule, the DFB-Elf would only return to Munich in one of two possible constellations as third party to a game among the top eight teams.

The final will take place at Wembley

As group winners, it would now remain on the tournament path via Bucharest and St. Petersburg to London.

As group runner-up, there could be a hot round of 16 against England at Wembley on June 29th in London.

There the DFB-Elf had made the penultimate step to the last European Championship victory so far against the Three Lions in a penalty drama in the semi-finals in 1996.

This knockout game was actually planned in Dublin.

But the Irish capital also lost its three group games to St. Petersburg due to a lack of spectator guarantees.

As expected, Bilbao will have to cede their four games to Sevilla.

The Uefa postponed the decision on the Munich question on Monday to give the German hosts another chance to make improvements.

The Bavarian state capital had so far refused a firm acceptance for the public and published three possible scenarios.

These ranged from ghost games to a maximum of 27,000 spectators.

Uefa had already listed London, Glasgow, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Budapest, Bucharest, St. Petersburg, Baku and Rome with various information on the possible occupancy rates of the stadiums. The Munich partner host Hungary wants to enable games to be played in front of full ranks in Budapest. The British capital London is also hoping for a full Wembley Stadium at the final on July 11th.