Violence, fireworks, and the coronavirus. (More Football News)
Berlin바카라s senate gave the go-ahead on Tuesday for Union Berlin to fill their stadium to capacity for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Violence, fireworks, and the coronavirus. (More Football News)
The risks are clear ahead of Saturday바카라s Bundesliga derby between Union Berlin and city rival Hertha.
Despite infection rates setting daily records in Germany this week, Berlin바카라s senate gave the go-ahead on Tuesday for Union to fill its stadium to capacity for the first time since the pandemic began.
Up to 22,012 supporters will be permitted at the mostly standing capacity Stadion an der Alten Försterei in the eastern borough of Köpenick, where the infection rate has been rising steadily every day.
Union forward Kevin Behrens will miss the game after testing positive for COVID-19, while defender Paul Jaeckel missed training on Thursday after feeling what coach Urs Fischer said was 바카라sickly.바카라 Jaeckel was waiting on the result of a PCR test.
바카라It바카라s really great to have a full stadium, the atmosphere is brilliant, it will be on fire. But of course, you have it in the back of your head that the numbers are shooting up again at the moment,바카라 Hertha defender Niklas Stark said Wednesday, when Hertha postponed its annual general meeting because of the worsening situation.
In a bid to reduce the risk on Saturday, supporters will need to show proof of vaccination or recovery, and no alcohol will be served at the game. Attending fans are also being asked 바카라 though not required 바카라 to get tested before the match, while authorities are hoping they바카라ll keep their masks on for the duration.
The police have other concerns.
The last time fans attended the derby 바카라 pre-pandemic in November 2019 바카라 it was a fiery encounter with Hertha supporters shooting fireworks onto the field and at Union fans during the game. Union goalkeeper RafaÅÂ Gikiewicz is credited with preventing worse afterward as he confronted his own team바카라s angry supporters to stop them reaching Hertha fans at the other end. Gikiewicz has since left for Augsburg.
The police have recent experience in dealing with potential violence after ensuring that Union바카라s Europa Conference League game against Dutch team Feyenoord on Nov. 5 passed without major incident.
바카라It바카라s definitely an issue,바카라 Stark said of the risk of fan trouble. 바카라It바카라s not our issue, you also have to say that. We바카라re concentrated on the game, we have to be. You don바카라t know what바카라s going to happen. We shouldn바카라t let ourselves be distracted.바카라
Hertha arguably needs the points more than Union after another lackluster start to the season. Hertha is currently 13th in the 18-team division, far from the European qualification places it wants to reach.
Union is eighth in the Bundesliga and enjoying its first season in European competition after qualifying for the Conference League by finishing seventh last season.
Union was only promoted to the Bundesliga in 2019. The Köpenick-based club is the only Bundesliga team that previously played in East Germany바카라s Oberliga.
Hertha is based in the west of Berlin and played in West Germany바카라s Bundesliga before the reunification.
The pandemic had largely kept the two teams바카라 fans apart since Union바카라s promotion, with all but the first Bundesliga clash between the sides being played in empty stadiums. Hertha won both of the games at Olympiastadion, while Union won the first and drew the last in Köpenick.
Kept outside, supporters turned to stickers to show their loyalties. Hertha stickers covered by Union stickers and vice versa are still a common sight on the capital바카라s lampposts.
While a few die-hard supporters remain bent on violence, most of the rivalry between the fans is good-natured. Prince Boateng, back at Hertha this season after spending most of his career away, said the derby is not a big deal because Union is still a relative newcomer to the Bundesliga.
바카라There바카라s only one big club in Berlin, and that바카라s us,바카라 Boateng said.