Fans will be able to attend football matches in the top-tier German Bundesliga this weekend after politicians reached an agreement to allow stadiums to open at 20 per cent of full capacity.
A number of clubs have already detailed their attendance caps for the opening round of fixtures, with Borussia Dortmund planning on having 10,000 season ticket holders for its home match against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday.
Elsewhere, FC Köln plans on allowing 9,200 fans to attend its home match against Hoffenheim, while RB Leipzig has been granted permission from the city’s health authority to welcome up to 8,500 supporters to its match against Mainz on Sunday.
Werder Bremen is also set to welcome up to 8,500 fans, with Eintracht Frankfurt and Union Berlin planning on allowing up to 6,500 and 5,000 spectators, respectively.
Bayern Munich is due to kick off the new Bundesliga season with a home match against Schalke 04 on Friday but so far the reigning champion has not detailed its plans for fan attendance.
The 20-per-cent capacity limit is set to be trialled for six weeks. The ruling required the approval of the respective politicians in each federal state.
“I think that’s great and I’m very happy because it reflects the work we’ve put into it over the past few weeks,” Fritz Keller, president of the German Football Association (DFB), said, according to Kicker. “We are very grateful. The fact that all federal states have agreed is a good sign. You can start with 20 per cent.”
Stadiums will not be permitted to welcome fans if more than 35 people per 100,000 inhabitants in a certain area test positive for Covid-19 within a seven-day period. Fans will be required to observe social distancing guidelines, with a ban on alcohol having also been implemented.
The return of fans has already been trialled in the DFB-Pokal cup competition, with 10,000 supporters attending Dynamo Dresden’s home match against Hamburg on Monday.
