Berlin: German 11th tier football side, Ripdorf fielded the least number of players — seven — against their opponents SV Holdenstedt II losing 0-37 in a local encounter as they feared of getting in touch with their opponents who came in contact with a COVID-19 positive patient recently.
The team tested negative, but Ripdorf said the conditions were not safe and don’t feel safe too and a not fielding team would have cost them a €200 fine. Although the Ripdorf officials have applied for the postponement of the match but were denied by the association. Holdenstedt too didn’t field their first team.
The Ripdorf players always maintained social distancing rules from their opponents and even one of the players stepped into the pitch and passed the ball to an opponent player and the team walked to the sidelines.
Ripdorf co-chair Patrick Ristow told ESPN, “The Holdenstedt players did not understand. But we did not want to risk anything. They did not go into direct duels and observed the social distancing rules, keeping two metres between them and Holdenstedt players.”
The Holdenstedt players scored in every two minutes and ended up scoring three shy of 40 goals. Their coach Florian Schierwater said after the match, “There was no reason not to play this game.”
