Allianz Arena
German football gets green light for fan return next season
Bundesliga clubs and other German sports venues will be allowed to welcome up to 25,000 spectators from next month, the city of Berlin said on Tuesday after a meeting of officials from Germany’s 16 states. Most matches in Germany’s top football league were played behind closed doors last season because of the Covid-19 virus. The new Bundesliga season starts on August 13 and with infection rates having fallen sharply, sports stadiums could be at 50 percent capacity, with the total number per match or event capped at 25,000. The only exception is reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, where up to 20,000 fans will be allowed into home games at the 75,000-capacity Allianz Arena because officials in Bavaria are allowing only 35 percent of capacity. The new rules apply until September 11 a...
UEFA backs down over Manuel Neuer’s rainbow armband
UEFA has dropped its investigation of Manuel Neuer’s rainbow captain’s armband after declaring that the Germany skipper’s decision to wear it is a ‘team symbol of diversity’. Neuer has worn the armband during Germany’s last two Euro 2020 fixtures to show support for the LGBT+ community during Pride Month, but UEFA launched an investigation to determine whether it could be viewed as a political statement. Had UEFA determined that the armband was a political statement, Neuer could have been prohibited from wearing it in future games and the German FA (DFB) could have faced a fine for the goalkeeper’s actions. The DFB announced on Sunday evening that UEFA had dropped its probe and now views the armband as a “good cause”, though European football’s governing body is facing criticism for its de...
Manchester United boss backs one-leg Europa League ties after venue change for Sociedad clash
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has called for the Europa League knockout rounds to be played over one leg after Manchester United’s away game at Real Sociedad was moved to Turin. The first of United’s two-legged tie against the Liga side has been moved to Italy due to current travel restrictions imposed by the Spanish government over Covid-19, preventing the team from flying in for the game without the need for quarantine. Real Sociedad’s director of football Roberto Olabe hit out at UEFA over the ruling which saw the Spanish side have to find an alternative venue for next week’s game, claiming Manchester United had an unfair advantage – and Solskjaer agreed, adding that he would have backed it being a one-legged occasion. Solskjaer said: “With Europe, we hope it’s going to be sustainable. Different...
Pep Guardiola ‘interfered in medical matters’ at Bayern Munich – ex-team doctor
Getty Images Pep Guardiola “interfered in medical matters” at Bayern Munich, according to former team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt, who says the highly-rated coach thought he “knew everything better than I did”. Guardiola was drafted in to replace Jupp Heynckes in the Allianz Arena hot seat in the summer of 2013, inheriting a treble-winning squad brimming with world-class talent. The Spaniard had already established himself as arguably the finest manager in Europe by that time, after assembling one of the greatest teams in history at Barcelona between 2008 and 2012. As expected, Bayern continued to dominate the domestic scene in Germany with Guardiola at the helm, but he was unable to deliver success in Europe. The 49-year-old picked up seven major trophies during his time at the A...
Bayern coach bemoans lack of fans at ‘special’ Dortmund clash
Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick says the absence of spectators for Tuesday’s top-of-the-table Bundesliga clash at Borussia Dortmund will be a “missing factor”. Reigning champions Bayern thrashed second-placed Dortmund 4-0 last November in front of 75,000 fans at the Allianz Arena. But the teams will meet again in Dortmund with the stands at Signal Iduna Park — usually packed with 82,000 people — empty after the Bundesliga became the first top European league to return, behind closed doors, following the coronavirus lockdown. “It is a very special game,” Flick said on Monday, with Bayern heading to Dortmund with a four-point lead. “As a coach, there is no question that the fans are a missing factor.” Ten of the 18 league games since the restart have been won by the away team. “The atmo...
Didier Drogba: How Juan Mata helped me win Champions League trophy
Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has revealed how his former Blues’ teammate, Juan Mata, helped him win the 2012 UEFA Champions League. Chelsea defeated Bayern Munich 4-3 on penalties in the final to win their first Champions League trophy eight years ago at the Allianz Arena. Thomas Mueller put the host in front with eight minutes left to the end of the match before Didier Drogba equalised for the Premier League giant following an assist from Mata as the encounter ended 1-1 after 120 minutes. “Eight years ago, the manager [Andre Villas-Boas] had been sacked by the club and we, the players, had a team meeting where we recognised being partly responsible for his departure,” Drogba wrote on Twitter on Tuesday night. “The captain @johnterry spoke, @franklampard @petrcech and other leaders in the ...
La Liga congratulates Bundesliga ahead football league return
The Spanish La Liga has congratulated Germany’s Bundesliga for announcing its imminent return as Spain’s top-flight stepped up its own comeback preparations. The Bundesliga was given the green light to resume later this month when chancellor Angela Merkel made the announcement during a news conference on Wednesday. Strict testing and matchday procedures will be put in place by the German government, with football seemingly set to resume on May 15 having been paused in mid-March. LaLiga outlined its own plan for a staggered return to training on Monday, with teams set to begin individual work this week before gradually moving to group sessions, the ultimate aim being to re-commence the 2019-20 season in June. Spanish clubs began testing players for COVID-19 on Tuesday and LaLiga sees the Bu...
