Could Bayern Munich block its players from international matches?

The elephant in the room for most major clubs in Germany is the upcoming international break. Bayern Munich is among the many teams that could face the prospect of missing key players if they travel to play for their home countries.

We have already seen speculation that Robert Lewandowski (Poland) and David Alaba (Austria) could be affected. When asked about the possibility of Bayern Munich stepping in and asking players to stay with the club rather than travelling, manager Hansi Flick insisted no decision had been made as of yet.

Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Mark Leech Sports Photography/Getty Images

“We haven’t decided anything yet. Kathleen Krüger does that for us (Editor’s note: Among many other things), she is in contact with players, associations and authorities. We won’t take any chances,” Flick said (as captured by Tz). “We want the players to be back in training and play when they come back. David Alaba’s first game is in Scotland, so he might not be there. But we still have to clarify everything. If a player has to go into quarantine, the club is allowed to exert influence and not release the players. The countdown has started for us, we need all players.”

This is certainly not an easy task for clubs, players, and football’s governing bodies alike. Hopefully, a resolution can be reach to make this a somewhat workable situation for all parties involved.

Additional Information

Per the Robert Koch Institute the following countries (edited for brevity and based on football-relevance as it might pertain to international call-ups in the Bundesliga. A full list is available here) are considered “virus variant areas” and would require a formal quarantine upon returning to the country:

• Brazil (virus variant area since January 19, 2021; risk area since June 15, 2020)
• France - the Moselle department (virus variant area since March 2, 2021; risk area since January 9, 2021)
• Ireland (virus variant area since January 13, 2021 ; risk area since January 9, 2021)
• Austria - the federal state of Tyrol (virus variant area since February 14, 2021; risk area since September 25, 2020); Exceptions are the political district of Lienz (East Tyrol), the municipality of Jungholz, and the Riss valley in the municipality of Vomp and Eben am Achensee
• Czech Republic (virus variant area since February 14, 2021; high incidence area since January 24, 2021; already designated as a risk area since September 25, 2020)
• Slovakia (virus variant area since February 14, 2021; risk area since October 17, 2020)
• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (virus variant area since January 13, 2021 including all overseas territories, Isle of Man and all Channel Islands; risk area since November 2020 )