Environmentalists rage: Spain flies for 190 kilometers
Is the Germany winner really saving time with that? Instead of taking the bus, the tournament favorite flies to the semifinal against France in Munich. The distance from Stuttgart to Munich is only 190 kilometers. Environmentalists express criticism.
During the European Football Championship, Spain causes another stir due to a short flight. As confirmed by the Spanish Football Association, the tournament top favorite flew from Stuttgart to the semifinal venue Munich in the evening. They face Germany in the battle for a place in the final on Tuesday (9 pm/ZDF and MagentaTV and in the liveticker on ntv.de). Before the flight, the Spaniards traveled by bus from their camp in Donaueschingen to the Stuttgart airport, according to media reports.
Both major cities in southern Germany are only 190 kilometers apart. The bus journey would take approximately two and a half hours. Before taking off, the Spaniards reportedly traveled by bus from their camp in Donaueschingen to the Stuttgart airport for around one and a half hours.
Bastian Greiner, mobility and transport expert at the Federal Environment and Nature Conservation Association (BUND) in Baden-Württemberg, sharply criticized the action. "We condemn the short-haul flight, which is fundamentally problematic for the climate," Greiner told the German Press Agency: "Moreover, football players and national teams have a role model function, so it is all the more incomprehensible."
Also France and Turkey with short flights
It's not the first time a short flight during the EM has caused a stir. France, Spain's semifinal opponent, flew from Düsseldorf to Paderborn after their EM quarterfinal victory against Belgium. The charter flight lasted only about half an hour, plus there were a bus ride of around 30 minutes and usual regulations like boarding times and check-in. The bus ride from the stadium in Düsseldorf to the 177-kilometer distant team quarters would have taken around two hours.
Environmentalists had also criticized the journey of the Turkish team by plane from Hannover to Hamburg for their last EM group game against the Czech Republic. The two cities are approximately 150 kilometers apart. The European Football Union UEFA had declared the tournament the most sustainable EM ever.
The Spanish football team's decision to take a short flight for the semifinal against Germany in Munich has drawn criticism from environmentalists, given their role model status in sustainability matters. Similarly, France, Spain's semifinal opponent, faced criticism for a short charter flight from Düsseldorf to Paderborn after their quarterfinal victory against Belgium, bypassing a longer bus journey.
