Once again, restrictions to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 will see a prominent club playing a key game without fans in the stands, as Bayern München have been urged by local authorities to play their remaining matches in 2021 with no fans at Allianz Arena.
The measure, which was discussed by the head of the Bavarian government, Markus Söder, could also be implemented in other regions of the country to stop the rise of COVID-19 cases in the country, which has reached peak numbers in the past few days.
"It's important to make this decision, so no fans are admitted in any stadium. If this is not approved on a federal level, then we would only do so in Bavaria," Söder stated in an interview with Bayerischer Rundfunk.
Bayern will be forced to play their next two Bundesliga matches behind closed doors, but this measure will also have an effect on their UEFA Champions League clash against Barcelona. That game will be crucial for Los Blaugranas due to their need to win the match in order to make it to the next round.
Later, Söder added why he believes football shut down in Germany will benefit everyone in the country.
"Football is always required to set an example. Right now, our focus should be to reduce the spread of this disease everywhere," Söder added on Twitter.
If this ruling stands, Bayern and Barcelona will be playing their second match behind closed doors in an 18-month span. Their other match without fans in the stands saw the Bavarian side destroying Barcelona's defense with a historic 8-2 win in the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League.
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