The Bavarian state government approved on Friday a tightening of the measures adopted at the federal level on 2 December to contain the coronavirus pandemic. This includes a ban on spectators at large, cross-region sporting events until the end of the year in the Free State of Bavaria.
FC Bayern Munich's home matches against Barcelona (8 December) in the Champions League and against 1. FSV Mainz 05 (11 December) and VfL Wolfsburg (17 December) in the Bundesliga must therefore be played behind closed doors at the Allianz Arena. The stadium will also remain closed to visitors on matchdays, with tours and sightseeing not being offered.
Jan-Christian Dreesen, vice-chairman of FC Bayern: "It's a big blow to have to play in front of empty stands at the Allianz Arena again. Football is only half as nice without our fans in the stadium, not to mention the financial effects. We must of course accept the decision as it is, even though we've done everything we could for the health of our visitors at the Allianz Arena with the 2G+ rule and our hygiene concept."
All tickets for the affected matches have already been cancelled and refunded. Season ticket holders will receive information about reimbursement in the coming days. Requests for home matches in 2022 can still be made via the online portal.