The fact that Stevan Jovetic was able to travel to Berlin again on Thursday was thanks to a short-term decision.

The 32-year-old attacker from Hertha BSC recently had himself vaccinated against the corona virus after initial concerns.

With the national team of Montenegro he was tested positive a few days ago, but remained symptom-free and was able to travel back after five days of quarantine and a subsequent negative test.

Without the vaccination, he would have had to stay in Montenegro for two weeks.

Cardiological examinations on Friday should show whether Jovetic can actually participate in the Berlin derby at 1. FC Union on Saturday (6.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and Sky). As for the striker's fitness level, there were still questions. On the other hand, there is more clarity in areas that are also directly related to the virus.

The stadium at the Alte Försterei can be used to full capacity according to political regulations.

On Friday Union announced that there were basically no more places available.

A little more than 22,000 people will then crowd into the small stadium to watch a football match between the eighth and thirteenth of the Bundesliga.

The Alte Försterei is located in the extreme southeast of Berlin in the Köpenick district.

From the center it can only be reached one-dimensionally.

There is no subway, only an S-Bahn and a few tram lines.

No binding orders

The traffic situation before games is often complicated, including long traffic jams on the streets and overcrowded train stations.

Most fans like to take the narrow paths through the Köpenicker Forest towards the stadium from there.

Anything but favorable conditions during another wave of pandemics.

The full capacity utilization of a football stadium does not only lead to discussions because of the surrounding conditions.

The incidence has been rising for weeks, and infections have skyrocketed to unprecedented highs.

On Friday the incidence in Berlin rose to 346, in Brandenburg the value is 507. Last week the Robert Koch Institute advised to avoid or cancel larger events.

Unlike at earlier times of the pandemic, there are no binding orders from politicians.

Andreas Geisel, Berlin's Senator for Internal Affairs and Sport, defends the game in front of full ranks: "It's a 2-G event, so it can be justified because the rules are very strict," he says. Only vaccinated or recovered people are allowed into the stadium, Union, as the host club, has announced that it will resolutely control it. The club had repeatedly advocated the return of spectators to the stadiums during the lockdown, taking controversial positions. Union called on all visitors to the derby to be tested voluntarily. One refuses a test obligation. "That would not have been possible with all the circumstances that play a role in this game," says club spokesman Christian Arbeit. He appealed to the personal responsibility of all visitors.

Union and Hertha are happy to pass responsibility on to politicians: "You can discuss what is right and what is not right, but we have a requirement and we adhere to this requirement," said Hertha's manager Fredi Bobic. The two Berlin Bundesliga clubs were seldom as united as when they were at full capacity. The only question that remains is whether it is correct to adhere to rules that are being overtaken by current events and therefore may no longer be correct?

“I never said anything about that. There are people who are responsible for that, and they decide, ”says Union trainer Urs Fischer. Herthas Bobic even believes “the people are happy to be in a full stadium again”. And: “The stages weren't the drivers of infections, that's well known. That was more the case in closed rooms, ”says Bobic. Nobody wants to be considered a driver and source of danger these days, especially not football, whose position at the beginning of the pandemic was viewed critically. Ghost games and declining audience numbers still leave their mark on the club's coffers, and the return to empty ranks scares many clubs as much as they are threatened with relegation.

Compared to 1. FC Union, Hertha is in a more precarious sporting situation, even if the team was able to achieve better results in previous games. It usually goes against Union anyway, Hertha remained undefeated in the last three derbies. Probably coach Pal Dardai would have liked to talk about the upward trend of his team before the game, but sporting questions were hardly asked. In the Alte Försterei in particular, incidents had recently occurred when both clubs played.

But Bobic believes in a peaceful coexistence: "I can't imagine that there are outliers that wouldn't be nice for football and the two clubs," he says.

This time, there will be no or very few representatives from the organized fan scenes of both camps.

The so-called Ultras from Union Berlin and Hertha BSC have already announced their absence.

They all reject all corona rules that exclude individual groups from visiting the stadium.