Criticism, worries, even fear for the existence: the return of the ghost games has once again put German professional sport in a mood of alarm in the face of many unanswered questions.

While in outdoor soccer there is not only understanding for the hard cuts but also a lot of amazement, professional clubs in indoor sports such as basketball or ice hockey even fear for their existence.

"We have to deal with that first," said Max Eberl, for example, and spoke of an "emergency game operation" that the Bundesliga must now switch to. The sports director of Borussia Mönchengladbach is affected in several ways: The classic for the second half of the season opener at Bayern Munich on January 7, 2022 (8.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and at Dazn) will certainly be the first ghost game in the new year, then wait two home games in a row on Borussia and thus another million loss.

The official decision will be made on January 7th, but there will most likely be empty stadiums for much longer.

Borussia Dortmund, for example, has already announced that the home game against SC Freiburg on January 14th “could / should be affected”.

The short question about "How long?" Was answered by BVB in a similarly concise manner: "We don't know."

1.8 million euros lost in sales per game

While the German Football League (DFL) called the step “regrettable but understandable”, there was also criticism.

Managing director Alexander Wehrle from 1. FC Köln emphasized on Wednesday, when asked by SID, that “the stability of the health system is paramount”.

At the same time, however, he said: "All the findings that we have from the health authorities say that there were no hotspots, especially at open-air events."

According to Wehrle, FC must expect a loss of 1.8 million euros in sales per game.

"That also means that we have to take measures in the next few weeks and months to compensate for these sales losses," he said.

Bayern Munich even loses four to five million euros in every home game without a spectator.

But it hits the clubs in sports much harder, which have less equity and no TV contracts as well-paid as the Bundesliga clubs and are even more dependent on ticket income.

The new cut “hits the ground running, the consequences are simply catastrophic economically”, said managing director Stefan Holz from the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) to the SID: “The clubs have planned with up to 50 percent spectators.

The money is spent. "

His assessment of the new measures is then also ambivalent.

"On the one hand, of course, we don't turn a blind eye to what's in store for Germany and, logically, the BBL will also take on its part of the responsibility," said Holz.

After two years it is “frustrating that professional sport has to be the first to believe in every wave.

For me this is not a strategy ”.

Infectiologically, there is nothing against letting at least some tested people with FFP2 masks into the hall.

The concerns of the ice hockey colleagues are just as great.

“The clubs will somehow get through the season, but many clubs are really at risk for the future,” said managing director Gernot Tripcke of the German Ice Hockey League to the SID: “The solidarity of fans and sponsors is not infinite.

This is extremely damaging for the entire industry and destroys all plans. ”And there is no end in sight.