The first two matches with 25,000 spectators are complete. There is great joy about the return of fans. Including among the club management. We sat down for a conversation with managing director Carsten Cramer about the experience so far and what can be improved.

What are your initial conclusions?

Positive, if only because the feedback from the fans and spectators has been extremely good. As far as organisation is concerned, we have received many compliments, which does not necessarily mean that everything has been done one-hundred percent flawlessly. But overall, many things have been done right and communicated well. The measures to comply with the hygiene concept have gone well. That said, we do not want to rest on our laurels.

What have you been particularly happy about?

That emotions have found their way back into the stadium. There have been great moments of interaction between fans and team, for example on Tuesday between Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland and the two fans in the stands. The way the team communicated with the people in the stadium shows how important the fans are for us. They are more than the salt in the soup. The intensity that comes from our stadium is not possible without fans. You realise the enormous effect that 25,000 people can have. 

A lot of people were surprised that the Frankfurt game didn't sell out immediately. How can this be explained? And what changes and improvements can be made with a view to the upcoming home matches?

There are several explanations, and it didn't really come as a surprise to us. At the two home games last season which fans were allowed to attend, we learned that the ticketing offer we can make to people is not simple. In fact, it is rather complicated due to the various regulations in place. On top of that, we had school holidays. We made it very clear that we wanted mainly vaccinated and recovered people to attend, which meant that the over 40% of people who are not yet fully vaccinated were not able to buy tickets. This number will go down from match to match. The personalisation of tickets has made the process more complex, meaning the booking process is more demanding in general. And due to the limit of two tickets per season ticket holder, we were also unable to ensure the surrounding atmosphere season ticket holders are used to. For many people, going to the stadium is closely linked to a sense of community. And for the fan clubs, we had limited the quota to four tickets per club, which obviously isn't in keeping with the fan-club philosophy. In addition, there was a sense of insecurity and caution among some people. With the experience gained from the 50,000 who attended the first two home games and the corrections we are now introducing, I am sure it will be different against Hoffenheim.

Which concrete changes will be made to the advance sale?

There will no longer be an application and lottery process, meaning things will be far simpler. We will open the online shop first for season ticket holders, then for club members and, only if necessary, for open sale. In addition, we are doubling the quota per order from two to four tickets and from four to eight tickets for fan clubs.

When does advance sale start for the home match against Hoffenheim?

In light of the new Coronavirus Protection Regulations and the adjustments that need to be made, we are postponing the start of the advance sale planned for Thursday until Friday.

There was a lot of positive feedback regarding admission to the stadium, but also reports of negative experiences regarding the GG(G) checkpoints and especially the access via the south-east entrance. What measures are planned?

The south-east entrance was the nerve centre in the game against Frankfurt. We made initial changes for the Supercup and are now evaluating how successful these have been. Further improvements will be made in advance of the home game against Hoffenheim on 27 August. These will be communicated in advance. At the checkpoints, feedback from fans will lead to improvements. The closer you got to the stadium, the shorter the queues became. But those who queued early for the first checkpoint they encountered had no way of knowing that. You can also get your wristbands at the stadium and in our fan shops earlier in the day. (br)