Soccer World Cup 2022: No fan mile in Berlin

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Fan mile at the 2008 European Championship

Photo: Gero Breloer / dpa

There will be no fan mile at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin for this year's World Cup in Qatar.

A private organizer initially had such considerations, but has since withdrawn his application, according to the Senate Department for the Environment, Mobility and Climate Protection, which is responsible for the approval.

The managing director of the Berlin-based KIT Group, Willi Kausch, said the fan mile was difficult in the run-up to Christmas.

Added to this is the uncertainty about the further development of the corona pandemic.

"We then decided not to do that."

The area at the Brandenburg Gate with snack bars, stage and screens for broadcasting the games has often attracted hundreds of thousands of fans at previous World Cup tournaments.

In the summer of 2006, when Germany was the host, around nine million came within four weeks.

Most recently, there was a World Cup fan mile at the Brandenburg Gate in July 2018.

The opening ceremony for the World Cup in Qatar and the opening match between the hosts and Ecuador is scheduled for November 20th.

The final is scheduled for December 18th.

FIFA decided in 2015 to move the World Cup to winter.

Temperatures in Qatar are around 40 degrees during the traditional World Cup months of June and July.

The emirate is heavily criticized for human rights violations and the treatment of foreign workers.

sbo/dpa