Leipzig (dpa) – “We feel sorry for our fans that we can’t welcome them in our stadium. Football without fans is simply another game,” Leipzig told dpa in a statement on Saturday.

“On top of that comes the competitive disadvantage because at the moment we are the only top flight club club who must play their upcoming home games in front of empty stands.”

Confronted with rising infection rates, Saxony is tightening its rules again which includes allowing professional sport only behind closed doors until at least December 12.

Leipzig have three home games in the period, in the Bundesliga against Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Moenchengladbach, and in the Champions League against Manchester City.

The club said it “accepts and respects” the new regulations from the state government but also said “we have no understanding that the Saxon government even allowed this situation to occur.

“The highest infection rate of all federal states, along with the lowest vaccination rate, is proof that the politicians in Saxony have not yet managed to implement viable concepts to contain the pandemic in an effective way,” the club said.