Red Bull Salzburg because of “competitive disadvantage” lockdown
Since Monday, Austria has been in the fourth lockdown since the outbreak of the corona pandemic. Series champion Red Bull Salzburg feels particularly disadvantaged by this.
On Tuesday, Red Bull Salzburg will face Lille in the Champions League away from home. An enormously important duel for promotion to the knockout phase of the premier class – over 50,000 frenetic fans are expected in the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
The Bulls cannot rely on this support in the last group game at home against Sevilla – when it comes to everything. The stadium gates will of course remain closed during the lockdown.
There is no understanding for this fact in Salzburg. “It is a bit embarrassing that it had to come to the point that Austria was the first country in Europe to go into a lockdown again,” says Salzburg manager Stephan Reiter zur APA.
Stefan Reiter: “Sporting competitive disadvantage”
Reiter continues: “Of course, I also see that there is no other option because of a development that has been overslept again.
On the one hand, the ghost games would cause pain (Salzburg is expecting gross sales of two euros, which is now being reversed), “on the other hand, it is also a competitive disadvantage in sporting terms.”
Reiters criticism: “We play in Lille on Tuesday, where a cauldron awaits us and in return we have at home – instead of 29,000 fans behind us – maybe even in a phase in which there is a lot for us in the club and we as an Austrian club can achieve something that has not existed for a long time. “
But you don’t have to worry about the financial condition of Salzburgers. Should you end up in third place in the Champions League in the Europa League, Salzburg will collect over 30 million euros. With a rise to the CL round of 16, over ten million euros beckon at the top.