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Photo: Gabor Sas / SPP / imago images / Sports Press Photo
The chairman of the sports committee in the Bundestag is sharply critical of the Uefa.
"It cannot be that a football association is blackmailing governments," said Dagmar Freitag (SPD) to SPIEGEL.
“We are currently experiencing a positive development in the pandemic because people are sticking to the rules.
It is fatal when those responsible in football do what they want. "
Other sports wouldn't take such a thing out, says Freitag, referring to the German Athletics Championships in Braunschweig.
At the beginning of June only 2000 spectators were allowed into the stadium.
Despite rising corona numbers in Great Britain, the semi-finals and finals of the EM should take place in front of spectators in London.
Despite all warnings of the spread of the Delta variant, the Uefa has now increased the pressure on the British government, according to a report in the London Times.
The association wants to obtain exemptions from the quarantine rules for up to 2500 people.
Otherwise the finals could be relocated to another city, for example to Budapest.
Uefa announced that it was in talks with the British government and that it was still "confident that last week will take place in London."
In order to isolate the guests from the population, a "strict test and bubble concept" has been developed.
As a precaution, the Uefa
to have an "emergency plan".
SPD politician Friday generally criticizes the association's handling of the corona rules.
"Uefa's hygiene concept only exists on paper," said the Social Democrat.
"Those responsible apparently don't care that it is not adhered to in many places." With a view to the fully occupied stadiums in Budapest, Freitag warned: "Uefa is playing with people's lives."
The Left Party also sharply criticizes the association.
"The Uefa is acting more and more opaque and hardly comprehensible," said the sports policy spokesman for the left parliamentary group, André Hahn, the SPIEGEL.
This applies from the - now discontinued - review of the rainbow captain's armband by Manuel Neuer to questionable bans of players.
Postponing the final game would be an awkward situation for everyone, said Hahn.
"Nevertheless, it is clear that health comes first and that special rights for certain people should not be an alternative."
cte / til