German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer on Tuesday said it was “irresponsible” of the British government to increase the number of spectators at the remaining matches of Euro 2020 in London.
With both the semifinals and final due to take place at London’s Wembley Stadium, Seehofer is keen on seeing less fans in the stands over fears of spreading the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus that is now prevalent in the UK.
Wembley will see around 40,000 fans for this evening’s last-16 clash between England and Germany, around double the number that could attend group phase games.
And last week the British government announced the crowd capacity at Wembley would be raised even more, to around 60,000 for the latter stages of the tournament, taking place a year later than scheduled due to the pandemic.
The increase was described by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin as “great news.”
Seehofer: ‘Irresponsible’ decision
However, Seehofer is less amused. “I think it is irresponsible for tens of thousands of people to congregate in a small area in countries that are considered to be virus variant areas of the highly contagious Delta,” Seehofer told the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, adding that German Chancellor Angela Merkel also shared the same view.
The interior minister pointed out that a capacity of 20%, in practice in Munich for the games the Bavarian city has hosted during the tournament, was a more appropriate measure.
This is “a benchmark that could also apply to the other venues.”
The delta variant of the coronavirus, which is considered particularly contagious, is rampant across the UK.
Germany has therefore classified the UK as one of its “areas of variants of concern,” according to the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases. This means strict quarantine regulations apply to those who return to Germany from the UK.
Kretschmann: ‘Wrong signal to give impression pandemic is over’
The state premier of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Kretschmann, said the decision “to let even more people into the stadiums now, as at Wembley, is brazen.”
“The images of the European Football Championship so far gave the impression that the pandemic was over,” he told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. “That is an absolutely wrong signal.”
At the games in Hungary and Denmark, the stadia were “full to bursting” with little sign of social distancing and few masks in sight. “This recklessness leaves me stunned,” Kretschmann added.
Söder hails Munich, criticizes Budapest
Bavarian State Premier Markus Söder also urged caution.
He told the mass-circulation daily Bild that things had gone well so far in Munich and that it was a “conscious decision to wait until it was clear how infection rates would develop in our country.” Around 16,500 fans were allowed to attend games at the Allianz Arena.
More than 55,000 spectators were allowed into the stadium in Budapest to watch group matches and the last 16 match between the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, something Söder did not approve of.
“I would not have done it like that in Hungary, would not have wanted to take responsibility for it. To be the starting point for a super-spreader event, football is not worth it in that proportion. Enjoy, yes, but enjoy with reason.”
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Germany vs. England: A football rivalry in pictures
1909: England’s amateurs on cloud nine
Some claim this 1909 game to be England’s biggest ever win over Germany, although it doesn’t exist in the official record books because of its amateur status. Hat tricks from Thomas C. Porter and Cyril E Dunning helped England to an emphatic 9-0 win at the long-since-demolished Oxford City ground.
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Germany vs. England: A football rivalry in pictures
1966: Goal controversy
Probably the most famous of all the meetings between the sides. Played at Wembley, the 1966 World Cup final was a thriller settled in extra time by one of the most controversial goals ever. More than 50 years have passed since England’s 4-2 win and still the debate rages about whether England’s third goal – the second of Geoff Hurst’s hat trick – actually crossed the line.
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Germany vs. England: A football rivalry in pictures
1968: A measure of revenge for West Germany
With several players remaining from the 1966 World Cup final lineups, this friendly –played in Hanover – was seen as a chance for the West Germans to get their own back. A scrappy and overly physical encounter was settled in the 80th minute when Franz Beckenbauer’s effort was deflected past England keeper Gordon Banks. It was England’s first loss in continental Europe since 1963.
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Germany vs. England: A football rivalry in pictures
1970: West Germany stage Mexican comeback
The sides were drawn together in the quarterfinals of the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. England took a 2-0 lead but soon capitulated without goalkeeper Gordon Banks. Goals from Franz Beckenbauer and Uwe Seeler drew the Germans level before Gerd Müller settled the game in extra time for a 3-2 win. Four days later, British Prime Minister Harold Wilson blamed Labour’s election loss on the defeat.
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Germany vs. England: A football rivalry in pictures
1972: West Germany outclass England twice
Another year, another quarterfinal meeting, this time at the European Championship. At the time knockouts were played over two legs, home and away. West Germany won 3-1 at Wembley thanks to a 26th Minute strike from Uli Hoeness and late goals from Günter Netzer and Gerd Müller. The sides drew 0-0 in the second leg in West Berlin and West Germany would go on to win the tournament.
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Germany vs. England: A football rivalry in pictures
1982: Knockout blow for England
In a tournament that employed a format with two separate group stages, a 0-0 draw was enough to knock England out and see West Germany through to the semis. They defeated France on penalties to make the final, but would fail to lift the trophy. West Germany would lose 3-1 to Italy at the Bernabeu in a final best remembered for Marco Tardelli’s passionate celebration.
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Germany vs. England: A football rivalry in pictures
1990: Penalties, tension and tears in Turin
England’s first semifinal since their triumph in 1966 saw them produce their best performance of Italia ’90. Andreas Brehme put Germany ahead before Gary Lineker leveled for England late on. Then came Paul Gascoigne’s tears after a yellow card that meant he would have missed the final. It went to penalties, and misses from Chris Waddle and Stuart Pearce (pictured) fatefully sent England home.
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Germany vs. England: A football rivalry in pictures
1996: It’s coming home… to Germany
In their first home tournament since 1966, England met their rivals in the semifinal having seemingly exorcised their penalty demons against Spain in the previous round. An entertaining and even game, featuring the likes of Matthias Sammer and the imperious Germany captain Andreas Möller, somewhat inevitably came down to penalties. This time Gareth Southgate was the Englishman who missed.
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Germany vs. England: A football rivalry in pictures
2000: Didi’s farewell gift to Wembley
England had grand plans to mark the last game at their famous old stadium. The scene was a qualifying match for the 2002 World Cup, but it turned into a miserable farewell. A long-range strike from Dietmar Hamann was the only goal of a drab game. The defeat had far-reaching consequences for the hosts, with coach Kevin Keegan resigning immediately afterwards.
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Germany vs. England: A football rivalry in pictures
2001: The miracle of Munich?
After the misery of their Wembley display earlier in the same qualifying group, England produced arguably their finest performance of the 21st century under Sven-Goran Eriksson in Munich. After Carsten Jancker opened the scoring, the visitors roared back into the game. Michael Owen (l.) bagged a hat trick while Steven Gerrard (r.) and Emile Heskey also notched goals in a 5-1 wolloping.
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Germany vs. England: A football rivalry in pictures
2010: Crossbar controversy reigns again
A young and skillful Germany side overran England in this World Cup last-16 game in Bloemfontein, South Africa, but only led 2-1 heading towards halftime. Frank Lampard then unleashed a strike from distance that struck the underside of the bar and seemed to bounce down at least a meter over the line. But Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda failed to award the goal. Germany went on to win 4-1.
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Germany vs. England: A football rivalry in pictures
2016: Comeback Lions hit three
It was only a friendly, but ahead of Euro 2016 a new-look England team came from two goals down to defeat Germany in Berlin. Deli Alli, aged just 19, stole the show as Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, and an injury-time winner from Erik Dier sealed a 3-2 win. England would crash out to Iceland in the round of 16 at the European Championship, Germany would lose to hosts France in the semifinal.
Author: Matt Pearson, Janek Speight
EU urge UEFA to move final
Meanwhile, European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas has urged UEFA to reconsider hosting the final three matches of Euro 2020 in London.
He said that “personally” it did not make sense to hold the games at Wembley, and that organizing the semifinals and final “in a stadium at a time when the United Kingdom itself is restricting its citizens’ travel to the European Union” was lacking “a certain symmetry” and proportionality as required by UEFA.
jsi/rt (AFP, dpa, SID)
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