Bayern Munich has announced that it has fined five of its playing staff for refusing to have a covid jab. The players have been excluded from training and playing matches.
According to The Mail Online this afternoon:
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.
According to German news outlet Bild, Bayern told the players last week that they would be withholding pay if anyone missed work due to being unvaccinated.
The report comes days after Bayern suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of local rivals Augsburg on Friday, which saw Kimmich, the midfield star for both Bayern and Germany, miss the encounter after he was forced to quarantine.
The news comes amidst a massive push by the German government to drive uptake of the jabs. Germany has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Europe.
Yesterday, Germany’s Health Minister Jens Spahn said:
“By the end of this winter everyone in Germany will either be vaccinated, recovered or dead.”
It is widely believed that Germany will follow neighbouring Austria and announce that the jabs will be compulsory for every citizen.
Bayern’s former CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge backed the decision to fine and sideline the refuseniks saying, “Everyone has tried to sort out the non-vaccination issue and find a solution. That didn’t work out. Maybe it will work now.”
