Clubs criticize the decision of the BFV

Criticism of the decision of the Bavarian Football Association to continue the season despite the corona pandemic on September 1 is growing louder. Representatives from the associations in the district are now questioning the procedure and calling for a revision.

District - Stefan Schwartling can only smile about September 1st as the deadline. The head of the TSV Gilching department considers the decision of the Bavarian Football Association to continue the season in late summer, given the mood in the other federal states, which is no longer tenable. "If other associations break off, Bavaria cannot go there and say we will do it differently," says the division head. His recommendation to the BFV bosses: "A clear line must be drawn."

With this demand, Schwartling shakes the dogma of the BFV. "There is no alternative for us," Rainer Koch had declared his association's approach absolutely. In the meantime, the President must see this position crumble. No other of the total of 21 member associations of the German Football Association has yet followed Bayern's move. Instead, Schwartling's demand for an early termination in soccer Germany becomes acceptable. The clubs of the Football and Athletics Association Westphalia (FLVW) have already spoken out in favor of this approach. Only 11.6 percent of the total of 1149 clubs that voted voted to continue the season. The opinion of the Berlin Football Association (BFV) was equally clear. Only 20 percent of the clubs want to finish the round.

Bernd Öhler (TSV Erling-Andechs trainer): "It reminds of the GDR."

Unlike its Bavarian counterparts, the FLVW and BFV had given the clubs four and five alternatives, respectively, for which they could choose. This now wakes up sleeping dogs in the Free State. "There were no different alternatives," Jens Rindermann criticized the procedure in Bavaria. The BFV had only approved its opinion as the only option for which the clubs could vote yes or no. The department head of the Gautinger SC is not the only one who questions the procedure. "It is reminiscent of the GDR," says Bernd Öhler. The coach of the TSV Erling-Andechs points out that those eligible to vote in the Volkskammer elections at the time could also only vote yes or no for the national front list.

Just under half of the Bavarian clubs voted for the BFV proposal

The result has now been an opinion in football Bavaria, which the BFV interprets as "clear two-thirds approval" for its proposal to "end the 2019/20 season despite the corona pandemic" by sporting means ". According to the association, 68.13 percent voted for the association's model, 31.87 against. But there is also a second reading of the figures published by the BFV. The ratio is quite different if you include the number of clubs that have not voted. 1151 of the 4348 clubs involved in the game abstained and therefore did not agree with the BFV's proposal. Together with the 1019 clubs, which with their No took a clear position against the application of the association, this makes 2170 clubs that do not explicitly gather behind the BFV. That is 49.91 percent of the football clubs in Bavaria or a total of only eight less than voted for by the association.

Franco Simon (SC Pöcking coach): "Democracy is something different."

"You have to question the whole thing," Oehler criticizes the process and its official assessment. And Franco Simon goes one step further: “Democracy is something else.” Just as for the SC Pöcking-Possenhofen coach, Ayhan Kurt is also suspected of manipulation. "You were directed there," accuses the department head of SV Planegg-Krailling of the BFV. "That was a preliminary opinion."

Stefan Schwartling (Head of TSV Gilching): "The association intervenes in the contracts of the clubs."

Jürgen Igelspacher defends himself against the criticism of the manner of the procedure. In an interview on his employer's homepage, the full-time managing director of the BFV is of the opinion that "now it is not those who are responsible in a club that are raising their voices, but primarily fans, players and coaches". However, in the five-lake region it is precisely those responsible from the clubs who are against the BFV line. As with the SV Planegg, the TSV Gilching was preceded by an in-depth analysis by the board of directors. "We discussed openly," says Schwartling. “The BFV cannot really say that.” This brought up issues on the tray that the association omitted and postponed to a later date. They also include contracts with players or coaches, which usually start on July 1st and expire on June 30th. As the season continues, this network becomes disorganized beyond its actual end. Schwartling is alarmed: "The association intervenes in the contracts of the clubs." The consequence of a round with an uncertain end is obvious to the department head. "I have to pay players for two seasons, but I only get the money from the sponsors for one year." That is why he sees the clubs facing economic problems.

Working groups that the BFV intends to deploy in the coming days should now overcome these difficulties. Too late, says Ayhan Kurt: “I would have liked to have formed a task force before I made a decision. Now we ask ourselves afterwards how we can get the cow off the ice. "

But not only the procedure, but also the reasoning of the association's top comes under criticism. Before the vote, BFV President Rainer Koch had drafted the threat that the association could be held liable if the season was canceled, without clearly determining who could definitely make claims for compensation if the season was canceled. We were only talking about the club owners. "Who wants to say that there is a wave of lawsuits at all?" Says Öhler, who demands the assessment of independent experts. The coach is certain “that the complaints will never be accepted. If you can even take away fundamental freedoms because of Corona without being able to complain, why should you give football more importance? ”Other sports associations have practiced the exit from the season without major complications, most recently after ice hockey, volleyball or table tennis the German Handball Federation. "Officially, nothing is known about a wave of lawsuits," Kurt says. The fears fueled by the association's superiors have not yet been documented in Germany. He therefore recommends the BFV “to be a bit more humble when it comes to assessing the situation. It has not yet arrived there that we learn a little down-to-earthness through Corona. ”