FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - Despite fears of severe weather chaos in the coming days, the Bundesliga's season-opening matches are currently not at risk. "The DFL is on alert. At present, however, all games are set to go ahead," a spokesperson for the German Football League told dpa upon request. The league is keeping a close eye on the situation in the north and reassessing conditions daily.
On Saturday, three matches will take place in the north: Werder Bremen vs. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, 1. FC Union Berlin vs. FSV Mainz 05, and FC St. Pauli vs. RB Leipzig. The German Weather Service is forecasting an extreme weather situation for Friday, with heavy snowfall expected. Conditions are set to become particularly unpleasant from Thursday night onward, as storm "Elli" takes hold. According to the German Weather Service, eastern Germany, the Harz region, and the area between Bremen and Hamburg are especially at risk.
Eintracht sees no issues for match against BVB
The first fixture of Matchday 16 will be held Friday evening between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund. "According to the relevant authorities, there is currently no reason to believe that Friday's match cannot take place as planned," Eintracht stated. "Nevertheless, through the stadium operator, we have deployed additional staff as a precaution to clear snow, spread grit, and ensure safety on the stadium grounds."
Match postponements in the top flight due to unplayable pitches have become rare, thanks to mandatory pitch heating. In such cases, the on-site referee team makes the final decision.
Difficult travel for fans
The main problem is the journey for fans, who should expect icy roads and snow in the coming days. In addition, Deutsche Bahn has already announced delays and cancellations in long-distance rail services due to the weather.
Stadium operators can also close venues if there are safety risks, for example, if snow avalanches could slide off the roof. For this reason, as well as general safety and traffic concerns, the match between FC Bayern Munich and Union Berlin at the Allianz Arena was cancelled in December 2023. In January 2024, Union Berlin's match in Mainz was also called off.
Union seeks volunteers for snow shoveling
Union fan clubs want to help their club clear the expected masses of snow and ice. According to a report by "Bild," a call went out noting that club staff could not manage this alone and would welcome support.
Union stated upon request that this is currently a topic among fan clubs. The extent of the weather problems remains unclear. "We are preparing as best as possible for the match to go ahead," the Berlin club said. In both Berlin and Hamburg, all amateur games have been cancelled for this weekend, although many leagues are not scheduled to resume play until later./ujo/DP/mis
