Israel and the United Kingdom, which are among the countries with the highest vaccination rates in the world, provide clues as to how the public will soon be able to return to sporting events.
Israel is the world leader in doses applied against the Kovid-19 per capita, with 90 doses administered per 100 people. A total of 4.6 million people have already received the dose, more than half of Israel’s 9 million population. More than 3.2 million have already received the second dose.
Those who received the second dose are entitled to the so-called Green Passport, which initially lasts for six months and provides privileges to their holders, such as hotel reservations, access to gyms and music shows. For the first time in a year, there have been several shows in Israel in the past week. Green passports are also given to Israelis who have been recovered from Kovid-19.
This system is likely to have implications for the return of fans to the country’s football stadiums. The Israeli Ministry of Health has already approved 500 fans to watch football matches, while the basketball gym can seat 300 spectators. Some Israeli football clubs have criticized allowing the number of fans to attend, citing high security costs, and demanded that officials be authorized to occupy a third of the stadium.
The original goal of the Israeli Football League was to have 10,000 fans from two famous names in the country’s football, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Beater Jerusalem, clashing with 30,000 seats at the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv on 8 March. The Ministry of Health, however, is against such a determination. A decision of a maximum of 5,000 fans is expected in attendance next week.
Another Israeli club, Maccabi Haifa, will test a new ticketing system in which fans are required to submit their Green Passport or any other documents to certify that they have been vaccinated or recovered from Kovid-19 before purchasing tickets. According to the club, the information will only be used to allow entry and will not be placed in any other database.
Premier League
Another country where the implementation of vaccination against Kovid-19 has been considered successful is the United Kingdom. About 18 million people have already received the dose, which is equivalent to more than a quarter of the country’s 66 million population. The United Kingdom ranks third in per capita administered vaccination doses after Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and even there, fans may soon return to the stadium.
With the UK government’s plan to allow up to 10,000 people in stadiums or 25% of their capacity from 1aced May, English Premier League clubs will vote on whether they allow fans to watch the final game of the season. If clubs vote in favor of the proposal, 10,000 fans will be able to enter Premier League stadiums for the 38th round of the tournament. According to the UK’s media division, fourteen of the 20 clubs in the English Premier Division are to vote in favor of the move. The game will take place on 23 May, six days after the British government was planning to further relax epidemic restrictions as part of its phase “roadmap” to end the lockdown.
UK media also claim that the English Football League may request a fan presence at London’s Wembley Stadium for the Carabao Cup final on 25 April, an experience that could serve as a pilot before May.
Euro Cup in England?
The success of the vaccination campaign in Israel and the UK is also likely to have implications for the Euro Cup.
Italian journalist Tankereddy Pulmeri said that it is very likely that the postponed tournament will be held in England due to the Kovid-19, although others have thrown cold water on the suggestion. UEFA originally planned to host the championships in 12 different cities across the continent and remained silent around rumors, although it said the tournament would be held in due course.
The Israel Football Association has also recently made a proposal to host the tournament, as well as the final leg of the Champions League and Europa League. UEFA confirmed that it had received an Israeli offer, but said it still intended to hold the tournament “in cities already selected”.
Delay in germany
Germany’s vaccination campaign has been anything but a success so far. About 3.8 million people received the first dose, just 4% of Germany’s 83 million population, with 1.9 million receiving the second dose. The number of vaccinations administered per capita is 6.62, far behind countries such as Israel and the United Kingdom.
In-spite of this, German football Tries to trace the return of fans to stadiums. The German Football League (DFL) and the German Football Federation (DFB) have joined The forces Propose a plan for spectators to return to sports gyms and football fields with other sports associations and the German cultural arena.
According to the plan, outdoor installations will be approved to use between 35% and 40% of their capacity. For example, the Westflenstadian of Borussia Dortmund, Germany’s largest football stadium, would then have at least 28,000 fans. No alcohol will be sold in games with more than 1,000 fans, and fans are required to wear masks. Tickets will be personal, and viewers must present an identity card at the gate.
Faster tests may be used in the future, allowing the stadium to be occupied to full capacity, resulting in a positive test, resulting in the person being ejected from the incident. Although it is believed that the so-called “rapid tests” are not completely safe, it is believed that they will contribute to reducing the risk of infection. The plan does not include a specific timeframe for implementation, and the media in Germany report that, if it depends on the authorities, no supporters should return to the stadium.
The German government is expected to announce next week its plan to ease lockdown measures by 7 March.
