The Daily Bee (October 15, 2020): No Fans for Schalke

Good morning, Fear The Wall!

Fan-less Revierderby

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc stated in a media session today that as it stands now, there will be no fans allowed inside the Westfalenstadion for the Reiverderby on October 24.

Zorc didn’t go into it much further, but it can only be surmised that it is because of the rise in COVID cases around Northwest Germany and Europe as a whole. COVID cases are on the rise all across Europe, and with the conclusion of the recent international window, there’s a strong possibility that we could see more teams face positive COVID results. Juventus has already seen this happen, as Cristiano Ronaldo and Weston McKennie have both tested positive this past week.

If this decision stands, it would mark the second consecutive Revierderby without fans in the Westfalenstadion, as the first match back from the COVID pause was the 4-0 drubbing BVB handed Schalke.

Would it suck to not have the famous Dortmund atmosphere against Schalke again? Yes. Would not having fans in the stands be the smart move? Yes! We’re still in the midst of a global pandemic, the fact that we’re still having matches at all in these times in a minor miracle, let alone matches with fans.

I’m sure the ultras for both clubs will be angry over this news, but it really is for the best.

BVB Injury Update

At today’s training session, Lucien Favre gave an update to the available media on a few BVB injuries:

• Hazard is out for Saturday’s fixture as he is still recovering from his hamstring injury suffered against Gladbach in the season opener.
• Akanji is still in quarantine following his positive COVID test result last Wednesday and will definitely miss the Hoffenheim game.
• Morey returned to training after a lengthy injury spell. It’s possible that he could play at some point on Saturday.
• A number of Dortmund players still haven’t returned from international duty, and according to Favre the next two training sessions will be low intensity so they could recover.

Borussia Dortmund and an injury crisis, name a better duo.

While injuries in sports are always a crapshoot, it seems like Dortmund are always getting the short-end of the stick when it comes to them. This year, however, the injuries seem concentrated to players in the defense. With Zagadou still out and Akanji in COVID quarantine, Dortmund will only have one true centerback in the line-up for Saturday. It was an area on the roster that should’ve been addressed during the extended summer transfer window, and I feel that the failure to make a signing has bit Dortmund in the ass.

The Daily Buzz

What are your thoughts on the prospect of an empty stadium for the Revierderby?