The fear of competition distortion and the economic aspects are the main arguments of the critical clubs regarding a continuation of the 3rd league. The criticism of the DFB is getting louder - also from politics. But the association defends itself.
Leipzig (dpa) - The dispute over the continuation of the 3rd league is also becoming more acute between football and politics.
After a telephone call with DFB President Fritz Keller, Saxony-Anhalt's Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff made clear allegations against the German Football Association - a violent replica immediately came out of the Frankfurt headquarters early Tuesday evening. "An inaccurate picture is being drawn here," said Secretary General Friedrich Curtius on the DFB website.
Haseloff had previously criticized the DFB's efforts to resume play on May 26. He found it unbearable that the association in the pandemic situation put pressure on politics and clubs, said the CDU politician. A state regulation with strict sports restrictions was enacted to protect human lives. That "the threat of license withdrawal if you don't play along cannot be the rule of the game in our society."
The DFB rejected the fact that there was such pressure. Curtius said that it was not threatened with "withdrawal of approval and consequences" for clubs that oppose the resumption of play, and justified the attempt to save the season. "The 3rd league would be endangered and questioned in its complete structure as a professional league if the season was voluntarily canceled."
According to a decision by the DFB Presidium, the 3rd league should - subject to political approval - actually start again in the last week of May. In Saxony-Anhalt, however, sports competitions and training under conditions similar to competitions are prohibited until the end of May. This means that 1. FC Magdeburg and Hallescher FC can only train in small groups of a maximum of five athletes until May 27th.
Overall, the 3rd division remains deeply divided even after the signal from the DFB to resume operations. "I have requested a new vote. I do not see that the DFB wants to continue the season on the basis of an outdated opinion, but under new framework conditions, keyword neutral venue," said Managing Director Markus Kompp from Waldhof Mannheim.
SG Sonnenhof Großaspach raises the alarm in view of the new outline schedule, which envisages playing eleven match days with five English weeks. Some clubs have been in contactless training for weeks, the decisions of the authorities vary regionally. This shows that "a fair competition is no longer possible", says the club's website.
After the quarantine for the team of the second division club Dynamo Dresden, Braunschweig's sports director Peter Vollmann is critical of the continuation of the season. "Such a team is thrown back completely, which is a competitive disadvantage that can no longer be compensated for," he told the "Braunschweiger Zeitung".
The economic aspect also plays a major role in the discussion for many clubs. "We are still facing economically difficult tasks and there are still many unanswered questions. A week-long quarantine training camp, our own team cook, several team buses or additional cabins and sanitary rooms do not appear to be acceptable for the clubs, which are already financially stricken by the corona pandemic "said Malte Metzelder, Managing Director Sport at SC Preußen Münster.
This is also the opinion of the traditional East German associations. They continue to advocate abandonment. "We have always emphasized that we want to end the season sportily and fairly, but from our point of view it is simply not possible at the moment for many reasons," said Zwickau's sports director Toni Wachsmuth. There can be no "fair sports competition".
1. FC Magdeburg is also pressing for a termination. "The DFB is currently putting a lot of pressure on, and is determined to continue the season at the expense of many clubs. We are still convinced that this is the wrong way to go and that the third division season should be stopped - for health and economic reasons," said Managing Director Mario Kallnik the "Volksstimme" (Tuesday). He also complained about the DFB's plan to allow neutral venues should some stadiums be closed. Magdeburg's Mayor Lutz Trümper is currently excluding ghost games in the MDCC Arena due to the Corona Containment Ordinance.
The Bavarian clubs are still clear for the continuation of the season. SV Meppen also welcomes the decision to continue. KFC Uerdingen and MSV Duisburg, Viktoria Köln are neutral, did not want to comment on the new vote from Mannheim. 1. FC Kaiserslautern only said: "It is not a matter of a vote. We still think it makes sense to exchange views regarding the implementation and feasibility of the schedule, with regard to possible delays with regard to June 30," said sports director Boris Notzon .
The 3rd league at the DFB