DFL leader Watzke dissents against CSU's fiery populism
The CEO of the German Football League (DFL), Watzke, expresses frustration with the harsh criticism from Bavaria's Interior Minister, Herrmann, concerning the management of pyrotechnic incidents in football stadiums. Watzke finds Herrmann's forceful language unnecessary and compares it to his dislike of constant criticism towards politics. He mentions having dealt with politics creating issues for football in the past and hopes to avoid similar situations.
Herrmann insisted on a "significant separation of professional clubs from violence and pyrotechnics" in an interview with "Sport-Bild" and warned of possible canceled games if football didn't tackle the issue. Meanwhile, Herrmann suggested the implementation of personalized tickets in the Bundesliga, harsher stadium bans for troublemakers, game cancellations, and point deductions for clubs.
Watzke references the upcoming meeting
Watzke hinted at previous instances of politics trying to make problems for football and expressed concern about possible fan exclusions mentioned by Herrmann. The DFL leader recalled the ghost games imposed by politics during the coronavirus pandemic.
A high-level meeting between politics and football is scheduled for mid-October, aiming for open communication. Herrmann anticipates specific proposals from the DFL and the German Football Association for enhanced stadium safety at this summit. "We will discuss various topics," Watzke confirmed.
"We understand and acknowledge the political mandate," said Axel Hellmann, Eintracht Frankfurt's board spokesperson and DFL presidency member, during the "Bild Sport" show on Welt-TV. However, Hellmann believes blaming everyone for the actions of a small group is unfair. He believed that while pyrotechnics might not be entirely eradicated from stadiums, a focus on maintaining violence-free games would be more beneficial.
Watzke emphasized the importance of collaboration between the German Football League (DFL) and politics during the upcoming meeting, emphasizing the DFL's role in ensuring stadium safety. He also highlighted the DFL's commitment to addressing concerns about pyrotechnics and fan behavior.
In response to Herrmann's suggestions, Watzke stressed that the DFL was already Take into account various measures to prevent unnecessary cancellations of games and protect fans, including personalized tickets and harsher penalties for troublemakers.
