Unvaccinated football professionals such as national player Joshua Kimmich could face a game ban if the critical Corona situation persists. Prime ministers agreed on Thursday “very quickly”, “if spectators in Stadium 2 G have to consider that, in our opinion, this should also apply to professionals,” said North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) on Thursday the federal-state consultations in Berlin. However, it is still unclear whether this decision can also be enforced for professional athletes in their professional practice, said Wüst. "The legal situation was clear, whether we would get that implemented, we have to check that now," said the Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Unvaccinated professionals, for example in handball, basketball or ice hockey, would also be affected by a corresponding regulation. Previously, the state leaders and the federal government had decided that in future only people who have been vaccinated or who have recovered from the coronavirus should have access to the so-called 2-G rule at sporting events.
In the morning, the Bundestag had approved the plans of the SPD, Greens and FDP, according to which 3-G requirements should apply in the workplace in the future.
If these were also used in professional sports, those who tested negative would continue to be allowed to participate in training and competitions.
The more stringent measures should take effect if the hospitalization rate reported for the respective federal state exceeds threshold value 3.
This value means the number of corona patients admitted to clinics per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days.
"That is on the presentation plate"
Most recently, Bayern professional Kimmich caused a heated discussion because he had admitted that he had not yet been vaccinated against Corona. He cited concerns about the supposed long-term effects of a vaccination as the reason. Because his vaccinated club colleague Niklas Süle had tested positive for the virus in the national team, Kimmich and four other national players had to go into quarantine. Corona cases and game cancellations had recently increased again in other clubs and sports.
Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) had recently said that compulsory vaccination for football professionals could also be a "signal of the unity of players and fans". League boss Christian Seifert replied on TV station Bild: “We have heard enough ideas in the last twelve months. In the current, undoubtedly difficult pandemic situation, it must be the task of politics to look for practicable solutions and implementable concepts. "
Seifert announced that in the event of new legal options such as mandatory vaccination, the league would "immediately discuss such an option intensively". In a letter to the 36 professional clubs, a group of doctors led by Tim Meyer, the chairman of the Medical Commission of the German Football Association and the DFL Task Force Sports Medicine / Special Game, asked the unvaccinated players to take part in the Corona Piks. The Bild-Zeitung reported.
Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann also vigorously pleaded for the vaccination on Thursday: “I claim that the players who are not vaccinated understand that the risk of being unvaccinated is much greater than that of going to more games and training sessions miss than as vaccinated.
I don't think I have to make that clear to a player.
It's obvious, it's on the presentation plate. "