BAYERN REVEL IN PEACE AND QUIET
IT WAS supposed to be one of the greatest days in Union Berlin’s history. The little club from East Berlin had never before welcomed Bayern Munich for a competitive match. Rather than joyous it was a strange occasion. Matchday pubs were closed, the train station near empty. A lone programme vendor stood by the entrance. In normal times, there would be 20,000 fans packed into Union’s Alte Forsterei. Three of the four stands are terraced, and when the ground is full it can be a fearsome prospect for opposing teams. But these are not normal times. Last night, only 300 people were allowed into the stadium, all of them subject to strict controls. Before entry, my temperature was taken and anyone showing over 38°C would be turned away. Inside, you could hear everything. Complaints from the players, encouragement from the coaches, and the thud of the ball echoing around the stadium. You could even hear the birdsong from the woods outside. Mounted police patrolled the woodland paths, making sure Union’s passionate fans had not assembled outside. They needn’t have worried much. Apart from a few forlorn autograph-hunters and some elderly couples going for walks, most people stayed at home. ‘They chased me away!’ joked Union fan Norbert Kurzner. Having gone for a Sunday stroll with his wife, he decided to look in on the stadium before kick-off and was ‘very politely’ told to clear off by police. A raucous atmosphere would have been Union’s trump card, but in an empty stadium… no hope. Robert Lewandowski gave the champions the lead with a penalty and a late Benjamin Pavard header sealed Bayern’s 2-0 win. It was not football as it should be. Just an eerie, sunny, silent afternoon.