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Bayern's match at Union Berlin to be played behind closed doors

11 March 2020, MVT 21:33
Bayern Munich's Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho (R) reacts with Bayern Munich's German midfielder Joshua Kimmich during the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Bayern Munich v FC Augsburg in Munich, southern Germany on March 8, 2020. (Photo by Christof STACHE / AFP) / DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO
11 March 2020, MVT 21:33

Bayern Munich will take on Union Berlin in the Bundesliga behind closed doors this weekend because of the coronavirus scare, officials in the German capital said on Wednesday.

"Due to an order from our medical officer, the game between Union and Bayern will not be open to the public," tweeted the town hall in the Treptow-Koepenick district of Berlin where Union's stadium is located.

Union president Dirk Zingler had said on Tuesday that he expected fans to be allowed in to Saturday's match against the league leaders, saying that German health minister Jens Spahn "cannot recommend that we cease operations".

On Sunday, Spahn had called for all events with more than 1,000 people to be cancelled "until further notice".

But the decision to close stadium doors rests ultimately with regional authorities and is made on a case-by-case basis.

Separately, Eintracht Frankfurt announced that they would play their Bundesliga home clash with Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday behind closed doors.

In a joint press conference with city health officials, the club also said that the stadium would remain open for Thursday's Europa League clash with Swiss side Basel.

"A game against Moenchengladbach, where fans are coming from an area with a lot of infections, has to be reconsidered," said city councillor Stefan Majer.

Moenchengladbach's homeground is in North Rhine-Westphalia state, where the biggest number of coronavirus infections in Germany have been reported.

Of 1,296 infections across the country, 484 were registered in the state, Germany's most populous.

Almost all Bundesliga games this weekend will now be held behind closed doors, including the Ruhr derby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04.

The only match for which a decision is yet to be made is Freiburg's trip to RB Leipzig on Saturday.

Berlin, Germany | AFP

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