Salzburg with “competition night part” in a decisive CL phase
While Salzburg is expecting a cauldron on the penultimate matchday of the Champions League group stage in Lille, the preliminary round at home against Seville has to end in front of empty stands.
Salzburg expects a ghost game at the preliminary round against Sevilla.
APA / Barbara Gindl
According to its managing director, serial champions Salzburg are at a competitive disadvantage in the two decisive group games in the Champions League. Because while the Mozartstadters will have to deal with France’s champions in the expected cauldron of Lille on Tuesday (9 p.m.), Wann & you can manage without their own fans in the possible group final against Seville at home. Stephan Reiter criticized the political pandemic management. The lockdown comes at an inopportune time for 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 lockdown again,” said Reiter. “On the other hand, I of course see that there is no other option, because of a development that has been overslept again. It hurts emotionally, we didn’t think we would have to experience games without fans again.”
Salzburg waives money from the support fund
By the end of the year, Salzburg still have three home games, including one that may end on matchday the last CL group phase against Sevilla FC, on December 8th (9 p.m.) from gross sales of almost two million euros, which we now have to reverse. The game was actually sold out despite the 2G regulation, “said the economic manager.” On the other hand, it is also a competitive disadvantage in sporting terms.
The home advantage factor breaks away – through no fault of the club. “We’re playing in Lille on Tuesday, where a cauldron awaits us and in return we’ll have a ghost game at home instead of 29,000 fans behind us. This is especially at a time when there is a lot going on for us in the club and we as an Austrian club can achieve something that has not existed for a long time. ”
According to Reiter, Austria’s industry leader WILL no longer work the support fund, which the government wants to revive. “Not because we are doing so well, but because the economic aid should be there to help entrepreneurs and smaller clubs that are economically difficult through these difficult times.”
Mittedrin in the millionaire game
The fact that Salzburg has once again earned a golden nose through the successful CL autumn makes it easier to do without. “In the budget scenario with the Champions League and a later move into the Europa League (third place in the CL group, note) that is well over 30 million euros each time,” said Reiter. Additional income in the range of more than ten million euros could follow through the recent entry into the CL round of 16. Reiter: “With a qualification for the round of 16, we would of course enter a whole new dimension again.” The current league leaders could fix this on Tuesday.
The financial gap in Austria’s Bundesliga would widen further. Reiter speaks of a consolidation process in the economy as in football. “Top brands and top clubs set themselves apart in local comparison.” You can see that in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy and even England, where two billion TV money is quickly being distributed.
“If a club with financial means then has a strategy and operates properly, the gap in the Austrian league will of course widen too,” said Reiter. In the European Cup, however, the roles for Salzburg are usually distributed very differently. “On the other hand, we see that we as FC Salzburg – regardless of whether in the Champions or Europa League – figuratively speaking from the right to the left side of the gap. That is so relative in an international comparison.”