Bayern Munich can have 75,000 fans back as Bavaria eases restrictions

After months of playing in front of nearly-empty stands, Bayern Munich could be set to feature a full-capacity Allianz Arena this Saturday as the state of Bavaria eases COVID-19 restrictions on sporting events. Therefore, the club’s home game against Union Berlin would become the first game this season to have a full stadium since Bayern’s 2-1 win over Freiburg all the way back in November.

Of course certain rules will still apply — people will still need to present proof of vaccination or recent recovery from COVID, and mask mandates are still in force. Still, the move is a welcome one for Bayern, since getting fans back in seats will help the club recoup lost matchday revenue. Given that leagues around Europe have mostly been operating restriction-free for the time Germany has had closed stadiums, Bayern have a lot of catching up to do.

This weekend’s game against Union will probably see fewer spectators than a traditional unrestricted game — last time restrictions were lifted, attendance numbers didn’t hit capacity until a week or two later, when season tickets came into force. No info on whether that’s the case this time, but you should still expect to see more empty seats than usual against Union this Saturday.

The easing of restrictions couldn’t have come soon enough, as Bayern might now be able to fill a full capacity Allianz Arena in the Champions League quarter-finals. Of course, these regulations are subject to change at any time, but hopefully the days of empty stadiums are finally behind us. The team could really use a strong home crowd presence for the rest of the season.