In times of Corona, the solidarity question arises in the Bundesliga. Highly paid stars should forego money. The first players express themselves - and the German national team donates a million euros.
- Due to the corona virus , the soccer Bundesliga will stop playing at least until April .
- Officials are now relying on solidarity in the Bundesliga , politicians are demanding that football stars waive their wages.
- Corona crisis: German national team donates a million euros.
Update of March 18, 3:40 p.m .: The German national soccer team is making 2.5 million euros available to fight the corona virus from among the players. That explained DFB manager Oliver Bierhoff this Wednesday afternoon.
"We as a national team want to set an example, we want to make 2.5 million euros available immediately," said the former professional soccer player at a press conference of the German Football Association (DFB) .
Bierhoff continued to tell about the donation: “Many of our players are smart about what they can do. It was clear within the national team that we have the economic strength to help. Toni Kroos, Jo Kimmich, Manuel Neuer, ter Stegen and Gündogan were involved. Neuer took the initiative, made calls in the squad, and a solution was quickly found. The team is a unit. In a community based on solidarity, the big ones support the community. ”
Captain of the DFB team: Manuel Neuer.
© picture alliance / dpa / Jan Woitas
So the DFB team is making exemplary progress, the question remains whether other Bundesliga professionals and clubs will follow suit.
Corona virus in Germany: Bayern star Manuel Neuer comments
Update of March 18, 6.25 a.m .: National goalkeeper Manuel Neuer spoke up in the debate about the financial consequences of the coronavirus crisis and the demands for a wage cut . "Like everyone else at this time, me and the other football professionals are also thinking about how to best deal with the situation," said the captain of the German national soccer team and FC Bayern Munich in a survey by "Bild" -Newspaper.
Accordingly, Borussia Dortmund announced that "this issue would be discussed internally with the team". The TSG 1899 Hoffenheim said: "Of course we are currently discussing and planning internally in many directions - also with our players."
The topic was discussed internally at Werder Bremen , which is why captain Niklas Moisander "will not comment on this publicly either", the Bremer told the "Bild". FSV Mainz 05 said : "Our players can play a role here, but it is too early to speculate about it."
After discussions about the waiver of the football stars - DFL boss Seifert reveals explosive secret
Update from 8:46 p.m .: The Bundesliga is paused for the time being, but what happens next? Nobody knows that yet. On Monday, DFL boss Christian Seifert announced that the league would cease operations by early April. Of course, this has considerable financial consequences for the clubs.
Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder therefore asked the football stars to forego part of their salary.
In the Bild Live broadcast on Tuesday, Seifert reveals: "What Markus Söder said is what many people think," said the official: "I know about clubs that have long been talking to their players about it and have perhaps already implemented it . But of course, the demand is understandable. Many actors have to do their part . "
Markus Söder: 1.FC-Köln-Boss Heldt with attack - "Populistic swag expressions"
Update from 2:28 p.m .: Managing Director Horst Heldt of 1. FC Cologne reacts rather harshly to the demands from politics for a waiver of salary by high-paid football professionals in Germany. "I think it would make perfect sense to hold back on populist shit," said the billy goat official: "My expectation is that politics will lead and give people a plan and not come up with suggestions Moved in sections just to be populist . "
Corona virus: Cologne boss Horst Heldt violently attacks Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder
Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) said on Monday that footballers who "get huge salaries" should "be a little more reserved with the money" (see below). With "so many millions that are earned every year", solidarity is required, also on the part of the players.
Heldt countered: “I know that football professionals have a social conscience. I find it outrageous and presumptuous to question this publicly. ”The first big mistake was“ that we put people in a corner and pretend that they don't care about anything ”. So 1. FC Köln will calmly discuss the topic with its players. However, Heldt ignores the fact that other football officials are also advocating a waiver of football millionaires .
Violent statements by Horst Heldt, with whom he will not make friends everywhere.
© AFP / ARNE DEDERT
Corona virus: "There are more than 50,000 jobs"
Horst Heldt emphasized the responsibility of football, especially to people whose existence depends on how they play . "It's not about the so-called soccer millionaires," he said. “It's about 50,000 jobs. The people who live through football. We see it as our responsibility that many people are still able to finance their lives. "
If the season is played to the end, this is “vital for many areas. If half of the clubs in the first and second leagues are gone next year, I don't know how to hold a league. ”
Corona crisis: Ex-DFL boss Andreas Rettig has demands on Bundesliga professionals
Update of March 17: Ex-DFL managing director Andreas Rettig has urged the football professionals to forego their salary in view of the impending financial problems of the clubs due to the corona virus . “Everyone should keep in mind that if there is no waiver of players, the cost will have to be saved elsewhere. So the clubs will reduce the squad from 30 to maybe 25 players, "said Rettig on the program" 100 percent Bundesliga - Special "on the TV station Nitro .
“This means that jobs are also lost for the players . Everyone should be clear about that, ”added Rettig. If the season were canceled, the clubs would lose around 750 million euros in revenue .
Corona crisis: Bundesliga stars demand waiver
Update from March 16, 7:11 p.m .: Of course , the corona crisis not only concerns football , but also politics a lot more. Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder * has now commented on the situation in the Bundesliga.
"I think it would be okay if players who get very big salaries, to keep the game going to their employer, their clubs, would be a little more reserved with the money," said CSU chairman bild.de.
Söder blows in the same horn as DFL boss Christian Seifert : "With so many millions that are earned every year, solidarity is required, not only from the clubs, but also from the players," he explained.
Coronavirus: DFL boss calls Bundesliga stars to drop their wages - "It's about 56,000 jobs"
Munich - Christian Seifert could be seen at the press conference of the German Football League on Monday afternoon the efforts of the past days. The DFL boss looked tired and drained.
The existential concerns in football as a result of the Corona crisis naturally do not leave the league boss unscathed. He found drastic words about the current situation: "It's about survival".
At the crisis meeting , the DFL decided that the game would be suspended until April 2. But that does not mean that the game will start again on April 3, as Seifert made clear. The league is currently playing for time and has no other option.
Corona virus: DFL boss Seifert does not believe in summer European championships
"Nobody can currently say when there will be professional games again ," said Seifert: "It is still far too early to speculate whether it will be possible to play on April 19 or April 26 or in May or June. "
On the one hand, the development of the corona virus in Germany * is currently not foreseeable, on the other hand, the DFL is also inhibited by UEFA's plans. Because the pan-European EURO was supposed to take place in twelve countries in the summer.
Solidarity question: Should celebrated football professionals forego part of their salaries?
© dpa / Friso Gentsch
Seifert no longer believes that this really takes place as planned. "The likelihood of a perfect European Championship in summer in twelve countries is no longer a number before the decimal point," says the DFL boss, who claims that if the European Championship is canceled, "the national leagues will have more flexibility by May or May." Will have June. "
Seifert is hoping for more clarity after the crisis meeting by video conference of UEFA on Tuesday (March 17, 10 a.m.): "Then it becomes much clearer what time periods we have available."
Coronavirus: "It's about 56,000 jobs" - DFL boss requests Bundesliga stars to forego salary
What's going on in the non-play time and in view of the resulting lack of income for the professional teams? Although the clubs are worried about € 770 million and 56,000 jobs are at stake, government aid has not yet been discussed on Monday.
"First of all, we have to get an overview of who can keep up without games for how long," explained Seifert, who also relies on voluntary waivers of the football stars: "There will be a certain amount of solidarity , as they have shown us in other sports becomes."
Corona virus: "Like in a science fiction film" - DFL boss Seifert on the current situation
The season should be brought to a close in any case, Seifert made it clear once again: "All clubs claim to have the season come to a regular end in some way - in accordance with the legal options and in terms of health," he said DFL boss.
Nobody can currently answer how and whether this is possible. It's not just the difficult times for the league and football. "It feels like a science fiction film, " said Seifert.
Let's hope for a happy ending with this film.
smk
* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital network
