Saturday’s all-German semi-final clash between 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam and VfL Wolfsburg in European soccer’s Uefa Women's Champions League looks set to be deprived of live television coverage.
There are no plans in place for live coverage of the first-leg game after the Potsdam club rejected a
request by Eurosport, the pan-European sports broadcaster, to move the kick-off
back so that it could show the match.
Eurosport Deutschland, the broadcaster’s German arm, told Womensoccer, the German website: ‘‘We cannot broadcast live at 2pm [CET] as we have a programming commitment for motorsport at that time.’’
The broadcaster’s request to delay the kick-off time from 2pm to 4.30pm was rejected by Turbine Potsdam, which didn’t want the attendance at its Karl Liebknecht Stadium to drop.
Eurosport has shown exclusive coverage of Wolfsburg and Turbine Potsdam’s Women’s Champions League matches in recent seasons through individual deals negotiated with the clubs.
The second leg of the semi-final tie between the pair at 5pm on April 27 is scheduled to be shown live by Eurosport Deutschland.
On Saturday afternoon, the sports broadcaster is scheduled to show live coverage of the FIA World Touring Car Championship race in Le Castelet (and the supporting Auto GP World Series race) between 2pm and 4pm on its main channel. Meanwhile, live coverage of snooker’s World Championship will be shown on Eurosport 2.
Stephan Schmidt, Turbine Potsdam’s general manager, sought to defend the club’s decision to refuse to alter the kick-off time in order to guarantee live television coverage.
He told Womensoccer: ‘‘Eurosport suggested a kick-off time to us, which, according to our experience at an Easter weekend, involved the danger that lots of people wouldn’t go to the stadium.
‘‘If lots of people stay at home and the opposite stand is only half full during the live broadcast of a Champions League semi-final, then you would not achieve what you want to achieve.
Eurosport Deutschland, the broadcaster’s German arm, told Womensoccer, the German website: ‘‘We cannot broadcast live at 2pm [CET] as we have a programming commitment for motorsport at that time.’’
The broadcaster’s request to delay the kick-off time from 2pm to 4.30pm was rejected by Turbine Potsdam, which didn’t want the attendance at its Karl Liebknecht Stadium to drop.
Eurosport has shown exclusive coverage of Wolfsburg and Turbine Potsdam’s Women’s Champions League matches in recent seasons through individual deals negotiated with the clubs.
The second leg of the semi-final tie between the pair at 5pm on April 27 is scheduled to be shown live by Eurosport Deutschland.
On Saturday afternoon, the sports broadcaster is scheduled to show live coverage of the FIA World Touring Car Championship race in Le Castelet (and the supporting Auto GP World Series race) between 2pm and 4pm on its main channel. Meanwhile, live coverage of snooker’s World Championship will be shown on Eurosport 2.
Stephan Schmidt, Turbine Potsdam’s general manager, sought to defend the club’s decision to refuse to alter the kick-off time in order to guarantee live television coverage.
He told Womensoccer: ‘‘Eurosport suggested a kick-off time to us, which, according to our experience at an Easter weekend, involved the danger that lots of people wouldn’t go to the stadium.
‘‘If lots of people stay at home and the opposite stand is only half full during the live broadcast of a Champions League semi-final, then you would not achieve what you want to achieve.
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