Bayern Munich has refunded the five players unvaccinated who had to be quarantined after coming in contact with a Covid positive person.
Serge Gnabry, Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Michael Cuisance have all been told by the German club that they will not be paid for every game or day of training they miss when self-isolating after they all refused to get the vaccine.
German news agency BildBayern informed the players that they will withhold pay for any player who is unvaccinated.
After suffering a shocking 2-1 loss to Augsburg, Bayern on Friday saw Kimmich (the midfielder for Germany as well as Bayern) miss the game due to his forced quarantine.
Gnabry was the first to start that match. Musiala, Choupo–Moting, and Cuisance were substitutes. Following a second exposure to Covid hours following the German pay cut reports, all four of those players were put into quarantine.
Their Bayern team-mates Niklas Sule and Josip Stanisic had tested positive for Covid last week, with the club confirming that those two players were vaccinated.
Germany has high tensions, with many hospitals overcrowded and a fourth wave of patients. The country has 68% vaccination coverage, which is one of the lowest in Western Europe. Jens Spahn from the German health ministry stated Monday, “By this winter everybody in Germany will be either vaccinated (recovered or dead) by the end.
Eric-Maxim Choupoo-Moting (left), and Michael Cuisance, (right), are not vaccinated against Covid
The news of withheld wages comes less than a week after the five Bayern players were told that they have been banned from staying in the same hotel as their team-mates ahead of a match and must travel to games separately too due to tightening restrictions in the country, which is experiencing a spike in coronavirus cases.
German news magazine KickerReports indicate that players were upset by the leak of information about their docked salaries.
A damning report revealed that players have lost trust and team morale has dropped as a consequence.
While the decision to dock the unvaccinated players’ wages may have caused unrest, Bayern’s former CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge supported the decision.
Rummenigge explained that “everyone tried to resolve the issue of not-vaccination” and came up with a solution.
It didn’t turn out that way. Perhaps it’ll work right now.
Bayern’s sporting director Board Hasan Salihamidzic is vocal in supporting footballers being attacked.
Bayern’s central defender Niklas Sule returned positive results for coronavirus testing last week
Josip Stanisic (a Bayern defender) also tested positive to Covid within the past week
The AthleticSome players claim that they have been paid their wages and others believe that legal action is being considered.
Bayern could lose its title hopes if they decide not to get vaccinated. Bayern are favourites for the Bundesliga, and the European Champions.
Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann missed four games after he tested positive for Covid during the previous season.
Nagelsmann stated last Thursday that players not vaccinated know the risks of missing training or games because they are more likely to be absent than a vaccine-vaccinated player.
Kimmich maintained that he wasn’t anti-vaxxer after he said he didn’t want to get the Covid jab.
He said that he had concerns over the absence of long-term studies. I am fully aware of my responsibility. I adhere to all hygiene precautions and have my skin tested at least once every two or three days. Everybody should decide for themselves.
Jens Spahn, the German minister of health, warned Monday that everyone in Germany would be either vaccinated or recovered by the fourth wave.
Bayern informed the players that the team will not pay for any game they do not attend because they are self-isolating from the vaccination they were denied.
German title rivals Borussia Borussia Borussia Dortmund were able to narrow the gap to Bayern at top of the table on Friday, just one day after beating Stuttgart.
Bayern is already reducing the number of home fans. Bavarian state officials plan to limit spectators at 25% of their capacity in an effort to control rising infection rates.
Bavaria’s 7-day infection rate per 100,000 population was 640 Monday. This is almost twice the rate at 386.5, which is the worst rate for Germany in this pandemic.
Last week, Minister President of Bavaria Markus Soder said there was no choice but to implement a ‘a kind of lockdown for the unvaccinated’ due to the increasing pressure on hospitals and medical staff.
Bavaria’s unvaccinated citizens are banned from eating in restaurants and hotels.
Julian Nagelsmann, Bayern’s head coach was made to miss four games due to Covid.
Markus Soder, Bavaria Minister President, said that they had no other option but to put restrictions in place
Bavaria was the worst state, but Saxony is doing even worse. Saxony has banned all fans in an effort to stop the spread of the disease.
This season’s Bundesliga has not seen any games called off, however there were cancellations for the second and third divisions.
St. Pauli’s against Sandhausen game, Zwickau’s against Magdeburg match, Wurzburger Kickers game against Eintracht Braunschweig game were all stopped due to outbreaks.