September 18 – A German amateur team lost 37-0 to their local rivals after fielding only seven players who socially distanced throughout because of Covid-19.
SG Ripdorf/Molzen II fielded the minimum number of players permitted because opponents SV Holdenstedt II had come into contact in a previous game with someone who tested positive.
The whole Holdenstedt II side tested negative but Ripdorf, who would have been fined €200 had they pulled out, said the conditions were still not safe.
They had asked for the match – in the 11th tier of German football – to be postponed but the local association refused.
Ripdorf therefore decided to take the field while respecting social distancing protocol. As a result Holdenstedt scored whenever they liked with their opponents watching on from a safe distance.
“We are thankful those seven players volunteered, otherwise the club would have faced a €200 fine for abandoning the match,” Ripdorf co-chair Patrick Ristow told ESPN. “That’s a lot of money for us, especially amid the pandemic.”
“As a club, we have to be careful not to incur unnecessary punishments for not showing up during his difficult corona period. That would make the financial situation of the club even worse.”
According to the Holdenstedt coach, however, Ripdorf exaggerated the risk of infection. “There was no reason not to play this game,” Florian Schierwater explained.
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