Bundesliga 19/20

do.ob

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Watzke demands season to continue

So, Watzke, the executive director of Borussia Dortmund, demands the season to continue rather sooner than later. Otherwise, the financial damages could be so significant, that clubs could go bankrupt. He's talking about an "economic necessity".

What do you guys make of this talk? A senile capitalist blabbering his irrational opinions in a completely inadaquate time? Or is he simply someone that has the interests of football and his club in hjis mind and therefor doing his job properly to save the league?

I personally think that although there could be some truth to what he says regarding the possible outcome of this crisis on the Bundesliga and the clubs themselves, his demand is of very ill timing. While the whole european population struggle to cope with the current situation, and some parts are basically collapsing ander the new virus, football interests seem very negligible. Obviously there are lots of people depending on a functiong football league, since lots of people are employed by clubs, the media, etc. etc...But still, health in this specific case should always be valued more important, than economic aspects. This idea might change in the long run, when the economic side effects affect the population so negatively, that these cause more damage, than the virus itself. Yet, there should still be time for that to come and to deal with, while the threat of health is absolute imminent and urges a much faster response, than the following economic crisis. Besides, it's very likely that the economic damage that virus causes will be much more severe, the more we wait to deal with it, at least in the long term.
Putting the players and therefor the social environment at risk, sending the wrong signal, giving people a reason to gather in pubs/stadiums etc. just is enough reason to not let the season continue anytime soon. Players will become infected, will infect more players and other people surrounding them, which leads to the very well known exponential growth of infections. Hopefully, the situation will be better come June or July, but there's certainly no guarantee for that. Might as well declare this season null and void so we can at least try (!) to plan for the next one.
Maybe you should read past the clickbait headline? He talks about how they have to finish the season, because otherwise too many clubs will be in deep financial trouble.
But he also says:
"when the authorities give us the green light, that these games are allowed to be played in a very small circle, then we will use the opportunity to do our jobs".
"but of course we can only continue when there aren't any concerns from the experts about it"
"of course we have to ensure through daily testing that these players don't infect their families, teammates or opponents"
he's also doubtful that there will be matches with crowds in 2020.

You can read the whole interview here: https://11freunde.de/artikel/wenn-w...-sehen-würden-wäre-ich-sehr-glücklich/1633597
 

Zehner

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I think he's on point, personally. If the players are monitored correctly and avoid contact to "the outside world" then the risk of them infecting each other is very low. On the flip side, there's much to lose if they don't go on with the season. The consequences for the sport as a whole could be devastating with many clubs going bankrupt and the few top clubs grabbing their top players for bargains. Of course the players would need to contain themselves even more than the average citizen but I think that's a reasonable thing to demand from them. It's actually part of their job to constrain themselves. And it's also easier for them to isolate from the rest of the society in Corona times. They don't need public transport, have people who can buy groceries for them, don't sit in overcrowded offices etc. They're already living in a bubble.

Football could also help making people's everyday life less monotonous and thus make it easier for them to stay at home. Of course it could also be the other way round if some incorrigible idiots decide to still gather autonomously but that'll always be a problem, regardless of football. I think it's a matter of communication and control.
 

kern9r

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Maybe you should read past the clickbait headline? He talks about how they have to finish the season, because otherwise too many clubs will be in deep financial trouble.
But he also says:
"when the authorities give us the green light, that these games are allowed to be played in a very small circle, then we will use the opportunity to do our jobs".
"but of course we can only continue when there aren't any concerns from the experts about it"
"of course we have to ensure through daily testing that these players don't infect their families, teammates or opponents"
he's also doubtful that there will be matches with crowds in 2020.

You can read the whole interview here: https://11freunde.de/artikel/wenn-wir-2020-noch-spiele-mit-zuschauern-sehen-würden-wäre-ich-sehr-glücklich/1633597
I read the whole interview and I think I highlighted the key parts of it. Nonetheless, I still think his push is wrongly timed. Obviously, while he's still admitting that it needs the experts' opinion and the authorities', he's still trying to influence those who're listening to him towards his agenda. While he's doubtful that there will be matches with crowd in 2020, I personally think there will be no matches at all this season - for a very good and obvious reason. Our aim should be to preserve professional football in the longterm, which can only exist, if we have a healthy society, which essentially means, that we have to get this epidemic to slow down and then stop. Without a functioning society, there's no professional football, because there won't be a healthy economy. While he could be right in some way and especially in the longterm, it's just ill advised at this point in time.
Besides, what if we let them play against each other and players infect each other? It'll be crippling for the football even more. Especially since football relies on body contact.



I think he's on point, personally. If the players are monitored correctly and avoid contact to "the outside world" then the risk of them infecting each other is very low. On the flip side, there's much to lose if they don't go on with the season. The consequences for the sport as a whole could be devastating with many clubs going bankrupt and the few top clubs grabbing their top players for bargains. Of course the players would need to contain themselves even more than the average citizen but I think that's a reasonable thing to demand from them. It's actually part of their job to constrain themselves. And it's also easier for them to isolate from the rest of the society in Corona times. They don't need public transport, have people who can buy groceries for them, don't sit in overcrowded offices etc. They're already living in a bubble.

Football could also help making people's everyday life less monotonous and thus make it easier for them to stay at home. Of course it could also be the other way round if some incorrigible idiots decide to still gather autonomously but that'll always be a problem, regardless of football. I think it's a matter of communication and control.
I personally think the risk of infecting each other in training/matches is pretty high. Asymptomatic or not, they're always getting close to each other while playing. While I agree that it's a reasonable demand to let the players contain themselves even more, how realistic is that? I don't think it is at all, given the record of enfants terribles in recent years. There will always be someone that does not comply; then the whole exponential infection rate starts occuring in football, too. Which would be far more devastating in the long run. Football as a culture for a fan is all about socializing, generally speaking. I don't think that watching a football game would be benefitial for the average person in our society, since more people would have the motivation and the need to socialize with others to watch the game. Games without crowd showed that pretty drastically.

Considering the average human being is rational and responsible, this crisis would be much easier to handle. But in these situations, it's my personal opinion to leave all dogmatic ideas behind and start thinking only about the result itself. Every measure has to be taken to save lives for now; this threat is imminent and more dangerous - even in the long term - for our society.
 

do.ob

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I read the whole interview and I think I highlighted the key parts of it. Nonetheless, I still think his push is wrongly timed. Obviously, while he's still admitting that it needs the experts' opinion and the authorities', he's still trying to influence those who're listening to him towards his agenda. While he's doubtful that there will be matches with crowd in 2020, I personally think there will be no matches at all this season - for a very good and obvious reason. Our aim should be to preserve professional football in the longterm, which can only exist, if we have a healthy society, which essentially means, that we have to get this epidemic to slow down and then stop. Without a functioning society, there's no professional football, because there won't be a healthy economy. While he could be right in some way and especially in the longterm, it's just ill advised at this point in time.
Besides, what if we let them play against each other and players infect each other? It'll be crippling for the football even more. Especially since football relies on body contact.
I'm sorry, but you linked a click baity write up and translated the first two sentences of it. Then followed it up with "A senile capitalist blabbering his irrational opinions in a completely inadaquate time? "

What Watzke said is perfectly coherent. He's a football CEO laying out the reality for professional clubs in Germany in an interview with a football magazine. Nothing more, nothing less. He doesn't make direct demands and doesn't talk about the short term. He doesn't say "just let them play" either. He explicitly says, to wait until officials and experts permit it.

I really don't understand how someone can read that interview and come to the conclusion that it's the blabbering of a senile capitalist.



https://www.sportbuzzer.de/artikel/...fl-seifert-modelle-2-liga-meister-reaktionen/

According to this piece there are three models being considered by the league for the remaining games:

a) Euros/World Cup style schedule, DFL selects a hand full of venues, the season is finished quickly with multiple games per day. The league would block entire hotels and shuttle teams to the stadium only for matches, to completely isolate them from other people.

b) Finish the season within 16 days, each team having a match every two days, but at their regular venues.

c)Basically the same as b) but with a more normal weekend+midweek schedule. Finishing the season within four weeks.
 
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do.ob

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A well earned contract extension with his vastly increased form under Flick. Could (or perhaps should) be a candidate for the NT again, especially with Reus having a worse season than last year.
 

strongwalker

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A well earned contract extension with his vastly increased form under Flick. Could (or perhaps should) be a candidate for the NT again, especially with Reus having a worse season than last year.
Badstuber once said about the time he spent with Müller in the youth teams: "he didn't look special but the team that had him in it usually won". Smart coaches notice this.
 

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Badstuber once said about the time he spent with Müller in the youth teams: "he didn't look special but the team that had him in it usually won". Smart coaches notice this.
It is not that difficult this season... (or always with good coaches!)



 

do.ob

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I know I'm falling into the old Müller cliche with this, but I think those stats above are a good example why you can't just always take xG/xA at face value. Imho there are players who create space with their dribbling and passing, who can apply their strengths in a variety of setups and situations and then there are players who use the space created for them by others or positional football in general. And I think Müller, as good as he has undeniably been this season, firmly belongs into the latter category.
 

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I know I'm falling into the old Müller cliche with this, but I think those stats above are a good example why you can't just always take xG/xA at face value. Imho there are players who create space with their dribbling and passing, who can apply their strengths in a variety of setups and situations and then there are players who use the space created for them by others or positional football in general. And I think Müller, as good as he has undeniably been this season, firmly belongs into the latter category.
There was a very good interview with Müller in the Athletic some weeks ago in which Müller explained very well what conditions he needs to thrive. Bavarianfootballworks quotes some of his remarks here: https://www.bavarianfootballworks.c...ick-serge-gnabry-kinglsey-coman-pep-guardiola
I think that explains a lot why he now functions - and had problems with Ancelotti and Kovac.

Müller does not create space with dribblings and passing - you are right with this. But he creates it with his positioning and his runs. It is give and take with his fellow players. It is not just the numbers that show it, especially Robben but Lewy, too, emphasised often that with Müller on the pitch they perform better. Müllers numbers even got better without Robben.

The graphs, especially the first one, just show that that he is not just good in the final of the pitch but that he is already great in starting the actions from midfield even if he never will get the patient buildup player.
 

do.ob

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There was a very good interview with Müller in the Athletic some weeks ago in which Müller explained very well what conditions he needs to thrive. Bavarianfootballworks quotes some of his remarks here: https://www.bavarianfootballworks.c...ick-serge-gnabry-kinglsey-coman-pep-guardiola
I think that explains a lot why he now functions - and had problems with Ancelotti and Kovac.

Müller does not create space with dribblings and passing - you are right with this. But he creates it with his positioning and his runs. It is give and take with his fellow players. It is not just the numbers that show it, especially Robben but Lewy, too, emphasised often that with Müller on the pitch they perform better. Müllers numbers even got better without Robben.

The graphs, especially the first one, just show that that he is not just good in the final of the pitch but that he is already great in starting the actions from midfield even if he never will get the patient buildup player.
But my point is that the effectiveness of that movement only gets enabled by other players and positional football. Without them teams often just block the pass or don't give up these pockets of space in the first place. It's why his stock plummeted so drastically under Kovac, Ancelotti or under Löw (in more recent times). Don't get me wrong, what he does when things around him work is far from trivial, but I think there are player out there whose stats are more transferable to different tactical contexts. He kind of says that himself with his "For my game, structure is super important. It has to be clockwork.".
 

do.ob

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Schalke look more and more like they are in deep trouble.

https://schalke04.de/tickets/update-fuer-alle-ticketinhaber/

The club gives their season ticket holders four options:

a) let go of their claim and get a free thank you jersey in return
b) let go of their claim and get a discount on next year's season ticket
c) let go of their claim for a fan shop voucher
d) let go of their claim and get nothing

One of the papers also claimed that they already signed away their remaining TV money for the season.
 

Pagh Wraith

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Thought we could use this thread to summarise what we know about the Bundesliga's proposed restart on 9 May so far.

--

The 36 professional clubs met with the DFL (German Football League) yesterday (23 Apr) to discuss how this would work and chief executive Christian Seifert said: "If we start on 9 May, we are ready, if it is later, we will be ready again. For us, what is decisive is what the politicians will decide. It is not for us to decide when."

Earlier in the week the DFL Executive Committee had issued a statement after convening for a joint meeting:

1 The statements of some German minister presidents and also the conference of German sports ministers in reference to a restart without stadium spectators in May are good news for professional football. The DFL and the clubs are conscious of their responsibilities. The Sports Medicine/Special Match Operations Task Force will present a firm, detailed plan with strict hygiene guidelines, necessary testing and ongoing monitoring at the forthcoming Ordinary Assembly on Thursday. At the same time, there will be overarching guidelines regarding match organisation with a minimum of employees present in the stadiums. Notwithstanding the above, the decision regarding a resumption of the season and the final determination on a specific date will, of course, rest with the responsible political bodies.

2 Any assumption that possible continuous testing will cause a shortage of supplies for the general public ignores the facts. Testing capacity has been increased massively in recent weeks. This development is confirmed by bodies including German Accredited Laboratories in Medicine (ALM): According to the latest surveys, there are currently 640,000 tests available per week, which corresponds to an increase in daily capacity of more than 300 per cent in the last five weeks. The plan of the DFL currently under discussion requires less than 0.5 per cent of the current testing capacity. What is more, the existing capacity is not being exhausted according to the ALM. But it is also completely clear that, should bottlenecks actually arise due to future developments such as a second wave of coronavirus infections, the DFL will, of course, not compromise the supply to the general public.

3 The DFL Executive Committee appeals to all professionals and clubs to continue dealing with the current situation in a responsible manner. In particular, it would be counterproductive and, above all, unacceptable to the public if team training as normal were resumed prematurely. The general situation may not be ignored in order to achieve individual competitive advantages with a view to a possible imminent resumption of match operations.

4 The DFL Executive Committee is aware of the fact that nobody wants matches without spectators. For some clubs, they are currently the only option for securing their economic existence, also as an employer. The aim must be to maintain the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 in the form in which many people have treasured them for decades – with great tradition, atmosphere inside the stadiums and variety in terms of the clubs. We do not want an economic crisis to lead to structural damage that could be irreparable and radically change the face of German professional football.

5 The DFL Executive Committee is conscious of the social responsibility that professional football bears. In this regard, it is incumbent on all decision-makers to also engage in self-criticism in reference to undesirable developments in recent years. It is beyond dispute that sustainability, stability and a down-to-earth nature must be among the core values in future. Once this acute crisis has been overcome, these values will have to be turned into tangible actions.

--

Ahead of Thursday's meeting, documents had been leaked explaining how and when matches will return. All of that was confirmed by the league's CEO on Thursday:

What does the risk of infection have to be in order to make this medically viable? That's the question likely to ripple out from the meeting of the DFB (German football association) and DFL (German Football League) on Thursday. A task force, headed by national team physician Tim Meyer, has reportedly drawn up a plan that outlines how clubs could return to team training and play so-called "Geisterspiele" (ghost games), or games played behind closed doors, in the Bundesliga, the second and third divisions and the Women's Bundesliga.

"It cannot be the goal to guarantee one hundred percent security for all concerned. Because that might turn out to be impossible," states a report leaked to several German media outlets in advance of Thursday's meeting. It's more a case of guaranteeing a "medically acceptable risk" in view of the social and economic importance of football — "under the strict premise that there is no competition with the general population for resources to control COVID-19."

While the framework for ghost games and training in teams are described in detail, information relating to the frequency of coronavirus tests on the players, coaches and referees is rather vague. At least once a week, tests will seemingly be carried out, "as close as possible to each match (i.e. at least twice in some game weeks) with an result arriving in good time before the players get to the stadium."

Skeleton staff
The document does not state exactly how long before kick-off a test may be carried out in order to qualify. But it does suggest "that no further measures are necessary on the field of play".
For both training and ghost games, the task force believes the following should apply: as few people in close proximity as possible, at as great a distance as necessary. During Bundesliga matches, a maximum of 322 people should be in and around the stadium on matchdays - about 100 in each of the three defined zones: inside the stadium, in the stands and outside the stadium. For second-tier matches, the total is 270. This includes not only players, coaches and referees, but also journalists, doping control officers, stewards, emergency services, groundskeepers and ball boys and girls.

The teams will arrive at the stadium separately and at different times and many of the usual rituals, such as lining up alongside each other on the pitch, shaking hands or taking team photos will be abandoned. Mobile sinks are also to be set up in the stadium while protective masks are mandatory for medical personnel and all those involved in TV production. The mixed zone, in which post-match interviews are normally carried out, will remain closed while press conferences will only be conducted virtually. At the security-controlled entrance to the stadium, everyone's health status will be checked and their body temperature measured with an ear thermometer. Each club must have a hygiene officer on site who ensures that all hygiene requirements are met.

Closed shop?

Two of the task force's recommendations in particular will likely provide ample material for discussion. "No automatic reporting of a positive [coronavirus] case to the press, since disease verification as well as clear documentation of suspected transmission routes take priority," the report states. This doesn‘t sound like a transparent approach to a pandemic situation.
In view of the close-knit medical control network among professional teams, the experts also consider the "abandonment of group quarantine" to be justified. In other words, the entire squad need not necessarily be automatically quarantined if a player is infected. In this context, the task force simply recommends "ensuring a sufficiently large squad in the season's run-in at an early stage".

(dw.com)
--

The final decision will have to be made by the government when the federal and 16 state governments meet on 30 Apr. Those hoping for an early return to football will have welcomed comments from the premiers of Germany's two biggest states who made their position fairly clear. Markus Söder of Bavaria said "a weekend with football is much more bearable than a weekend without football, that's why I could picture to have matches behind closed doors." He and Armin Laschet, state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, both feel it's conceivable the Bundesliga could restart as soon as 9 May.
 
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Becks-7-

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Not allowed to post any content from Social Media but Kalou‘s video is going to make it really hard to restart the season now...
 

do.ob

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Not allowed to post any content from Social Media but Kalou‘s video is going to make it really hard to restart the season now...

Here are the videos:

Incredibly dumb from Kalou and also an indictment of Hertha as a club, since we all sort of expect players to be idiots but you also see one staffer happily shake hands with him and whoever is taking the swabs isn't wearing proper protective gear. But my guess is this can be fixed with strong condemnations and perhaps assurances of independent inspections.
 

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Not allowed to post any content from Social Media but Kalou‘s video is going to make it really hard to restart the season now...
It really is a ridiculous video but I feel like they could still overcome that by vowing to be stricter from now on.

I'm more concerned with the league finding 10 infected players/staff in their 1724 tests. If they don't get close to 0 cases in their second testing round then it's going to be difficult to sell Bundesliga matches as a safe event.
 

do.ob

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It really is a ridiculous video but I feel like they could still overcome that by vowing to be stricter from now on.

I'm more concerned with the league finding 10 infected players/staff in their 1724 tests. If they don't get close to 0 cases in their second testing round then it's going to be difficult to sell Bundesliga matches as a safe event.
I don't think zero is a realistic target and I don't think it has to be. They are testing before every match after all.

And why is Hertha so desperate for attention? First Windhorst, then Klinsmann, now this!
 

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I don't think zero is a realistic target and I don't think it has to be. They are testing before every match after all.

And why is Hertha so desperate for attention? First Windhorst, then Klinsmann, now this!
Well as you can probably guess no one asked for this kind of attention. ^^
I really have no idea what is going on in Kalou's mind...he's old enough to know that this is unacceptable. And I bet Ibisevic is extremely pissed off now since it made him look like a total idiot.

I said close to zero by the way :) But yes, I believe every case will be problematic. Let's say a players tests positive after having played a match, how do you handle that? Do both teams get quarantined?
 

do.ob

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Well as you can probably guess no one asked for this kind of attention. ^^
I really have no idea what is going on in Kalou's mind...he's old enough to know that this is unacceptable. And I bet Ibisevic is extremely pissed off now since it made him look like a total idiot.

I said close to zero by the way :) But yes, I believe every case will be problematic. Let's say a players tests positive after having played a match, how do you handle that? Do both teams get quarantined?
As far as I know the concept only plans to quarantine players who have tested positive. Players are supposed to train in small groups, their families are supposed to isolate, players get tested before every match. I would guess that the odds of someone testing negative on Friday then playing on Saturday infecting multiple people are very slim.
 

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we have to thank Kalou for that video. He acts like an idiot but plenty of footballers are idiots. The Bundesliga (or other leagues) should only be restarted, when the clubs enforce very strict rules. These have to be systematically implemented from the leadership. You can't rely on individuals to act appropriately without that.
 

do.ob

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we have to thank Kalou for that video. He acts like an idiot but plenty of footballers are idiots. The Bundesliga (or other leagues) should only be restarted, when the clubs enforce very strict rules. These have to be systematically implemented from the leadership. You can't rely on individuals to act appropriately without that.
Absolutely, my first thought while watching the video was: sometimes stupidity and ignorance is more effective than any investigative journalist. But relative to other obstacles verifying compliance to a certain degree should only be a small obstacle.
 

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Absolutely, my first thought while watching the video was: sometimes stupidity and ignorance is more effective than any investigative journalist. But relative to other obstacles verifying compliance to a certain degree should only be a small obstacle.
It should be easy. Still, Hertha already had one corona case and they still seem to think this is only a formality. I am not surprised that players don't take it seriously when the staff (+doctors) seem to be quite lax about it. Clubs have to bear the responsibility. Its to some extend a collective action problem and the DFB should threaten clubs with withdrawing their licence if they don't implement proper protocols.
 

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we have to thank Kalou for that video. He acts like an idiot but plenty of footballers are idiots. The Bundesliga (or other leagues) should only be restarted, when the clubs enforce very strict rules. These have to be systematically implemented from the leadership. You can't rely on individuals to act appropriately without that.
Kalou isn't an idiot, in fact he is very much a role model of a pro football player who has proven he is thinking beyond fancy tatoos, clothes and cars. He founded a charity that helps fight Covid in his home country and created videos about proper behavior etc, He openly admits that posting this cabin video was a mistake and he apologises very convincingly.
He is the scapegoat now taking the heat and he knows it. Many will be grateful because it means deflection from bigger problems than a few handshakes - the special status given to Pro Football in Germany when many other businesses are on the line, or the somewhat idiotic reglementation the Bundesliga will introduce.
 

do.ob

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Kalou isn't an idiot, in fact he is very much a role model of a pro football player who has proven he is thinking beyond fancy tatoos, clothes and cars. He founded a charity that helps fight Covid in his home country and created videos about proper behavior etc, He openly admits that posting this cabin video was a mistake and he apologises very convincingly.
He is the scapegoat now taking the heat and he knows it. Many will be grateful because it means deflection from bigger problems than a few handshakes - the special status given to Pro Football in Germany when many other businesses are on the line, or the somewhat idiotic reglementation the Bundesliga will introduce.
I'm sorry, but live streaming the dressing room is by itself already an incredibly stupid idea and on top of that he filmed himself shaking hands, live streamed the medical procedure of a team mate and live streamed Ibisevic talking/whining about wages, without giving him a warning.

And what special status? Shops are open again, even hairdressers are working in close contact again, yet Bundesliga, despite promising twice-weekly testing (who else does that?), appears to be at least two weeks away from reopening, these clubs are also business on the line and they aren't asking for taxpayer money, they are asking to be allowed to help themselves through the crisis. The whole topic has become a political game.
 

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And what special status? Shops are open again, even hairdressers are working in close contact again, yet Bundesliga, despite promising twice-weekly testing (who else does that?), appears to be at least two weeks away from reopening, these clubs are also business on the line and they aren't asking for taxpayer money, they are asking to be allowed to help themselves through the crisis. The whole topic has become a political game.
That is true. At this point, not continuing the league would be giving football special status. They'll be better protected than anyone and I don't see how it could be justified any longer to keep them from doing their job. Because that's what it is, a job. Forget about the money they earn. Anyone who is deemed safe to do their job has to be allowed to do so. That has to be the approach as opposed to comparing footballers to hairdressers or hairdressers to bartenders and this "If I can't open my business, they shouldn't be allowed to play football either" attitude. If the league were using resources that are needed elsewhere or the country in lockdown, then a moral argument could (and should) be made. But that is not the case. Shopping centres are open, restaurants and bars are opening on Saturday and the infection rate is really low now.

One more thing. It is true that the reason the DFL is able to this is due to the fact that they have the money to buy these test kits. Money others do not have. But then we have to ask ourselves how we have contributed to that system and are happy to consume the "product". But that is a different discussion altogether. What is important and relevant now is that nobody will be worse off or have anything taken away from them because the league is restarting.
 
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Dick Dastardly

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This has turned into a farce. Footballers are very unlikely to suffer from the virus. They are very fit and healthy. 7000 USA military have been infected with no deaths. The number of deaths to fit and healthy under 45s in the U.K. can be counted on the fingers of 1 hand. The police seem quite happy wandering around in groups and shouting at people.
The footballers will be tested constantly and will probably be the most protected people in the country.
 

PedroMendez

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Kalou isn't an idiot, in fact he is very much a role model of a pro football player who has proven he is thinking beyond fancy tatoos, clothes and cars. He founded a charity that helps fight Covid in his home country and created videos about proper behavior etc, He openly admits that posting this cabin video was a mistake and he apologises very convincingly.
He is the scapegoat now taking the heat and he knows it. Many will be grateful because it means deflection from bigger problems than a few handshakes - the special status given to Pro Football in Germany when many other businesses are on the line, or the somewhat idiotic reglementation the Bundesliga will introduce.
he acted like an idiot in this instance, but my post specifically points towards the responsibility of clubs to act appropriately. The failure of Hertha's management and the question how the league can ensure that other clubs don't act similarly should be discussed. I don't see any reason why the Bundesliga can't restart with proper protocols in place, but they need to improve.

On a side note, fancy tattoos, clothes, dabbing, cringey social media or fancy cars have little to do with being a model pro.
 

Jaap

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This has turned into a farce. Footballers are very unlikely to suffer from the virus. They are very fit and healthy. 7000 USA military have been infected with no deaths. The number of deaths to fit and healthy under 45s in the U.K. can be counted on the fingers of 1 hand. The police seem quite happy wandering around in groups and shouting at people.
The footballers will be tested constantly and will probably be the most protected people in the country.
:confused:
 

Tel074

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This has turned into a farce. Footballers are very unlikely to suffer from the virus. They are very fit and healthy. 7000 USA military have been infected with no deaths. The number of deaths to fit and healthy under 45s in the U.K. can be counted on the fingers of 1 hand. The police seem quite happy wandering around in groups and shouting at people.
The footballers will be tested constantly and will probably be the most protected people in the country.
I don't know where you are getting your info but it's not exactly correct
 

.mica

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I'm sorry, but live streaming the dressing room is by itself already an incredibly stupid idea and on top of that he filmed himself shaking hands, live streamed the medical procedure of a team mate and live streamed Ibisevic talking/whining about wages, without giving him a warning.

And what special status? Shops are open again, even hairdressers are working in close contact again, yet Bundesliga, despite promising twice-weekly testing (who else does that?), appears to be at least two weeks away from reopening, these clubs are also business on the line and they aren't asking for taxpayer money, they are asking to be allowed to help themselves through the crisis. The whole topic has become a political game.
There is an interesting paradox laying in your words. They are true. But you are missing something: Not every shop is open again, and people questioning "why this and this can open but my shop could not." They are struggling with social distancing, jobs, kids, health and so on and so on. And take care with the aim of good things for the whole society. And then they see the rich football business (which got not problems like kids in school, homeoffice, money and so on) pushing and pushing so that it can "open again", followed by an insight where you can see whats the reality in modern football: the most important things in the heads of footballers are: My haircut and my money. 11% less money! While shiting on all simple rules the whole society is following since the begining of the pandemic. Compare that to the situations some people are in since weeks.

This whole situation will decrease the acceptence of the football which is way beyond normal life and people since years and keep on flying higher and higher.