Football matches in the German state of Bavaria will be held without spectators for the time being, the Bavarian cabinet decided on Friday in the midst of a fourth coronavirus wave.
The decision applies from this Saturday and affects all "professional sports for supra-regional leagues" which includes Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, Bavaria's state premier Markus Soeder said at a news conference.
The home games of Bundesliga side Augsburg against Bochum and second division Nuremberg against Holstein Kiel will have to take place in front of empty stands on Saturday.
Bayern's Champions League clash with Barcelona on Wednesday will be the first of probably several games they will have to play behind closed doors. Bayern have already qualified for the last 16 but Barca have not.
Soeder did not specify until when the regulation would apply but had previously indicated the end of the year, pending the developments in the pandemic.
Bayern will therefore hope to have fans again when the Bundesliga resumes after a short mid-season break on January 7 but that will only happen if coronavirus cases significantly fall in the region.
German football previously had to play for months without fans in earlier waves of the pandemic and there is no certainty Bayern supporters will be back for the Champions League last 16 in February.
Leaders Bayern travel to title rivals Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
The federal government and state leaders agreed on Thursday that a maximum of 15,000 spectators or 50 per cent of stadium capacity will be allowed if state rules do not override this.
Dortmund will welcome 15,000 with the tickets being sold out on Friday after just half an hour.
The Berlin state senate has decided to go further and has set a limit of 5,000 fans for Union and Hertha Berlin home games from Wednesday. Union's game with RB Leipzig on Friday is not affected.
Saxony, where Leipzig are based, has already instituted games behind closed doors.
Baden-Wuerttemberg, where Bundesliga sides Stuttgart, Freiburg and Hoffenheim are situated, is permitting only 750 fans per game from Saturday.
Germany's departing Health Minister Jens Spahn has urged that those stadiums with 15,000 fans should implement the plan "in all its facets."
This includes access only for vaccinated and recovered people, social distancing and mandatory masks.
There should also ideally be no alcohol, he said.
"The question is whether it can be done in practice," he added, referring to previous images from stadiums where protocols were not adhered to.
Second division Hanover face Hamburg on Sunday with the local authority saying 22,500 rather than 15,000 would be allowed in despite the government decision. It was not immediately clear why this was so.
Bayern will be without Joshua Kimmich and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting this weekend because of the coronavirus as the latest wave grips Germany and particularly Bavaria.
Second division Ingolstadt, from Bavaria, say 15 people at the club are in quarantine after seven positive tests ahead of their game on Saturday at Hansa Rostock.
