A World Cup winner with Germany has condemned the unvaccinated and warned that they "must bear the consequences", speaking amid mounting pressure for unjabbed players at top club Bayern Munich to have their pay withheld.
Rudi Voller won the 1990 World Cup with Die Mannschaft and also reached the finals of Fifa's showpiece tournament as a player in 1986 and manager in 2002.
Bayer Leverkusen's sporting director is unimpressed with the vaccine saga at rival club Bayern Munich, where positive Covid cases and vaccine reluctance have caused the club to miss several top stars.
At the weekend, four players – Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala, Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting and Michael Cuisance – joined outspoken figure Joshua Kimmich, who has confirmed he is unvaccinated, in quarantine.
This has reportedly led to the Bavarians taking action and threatening to dock the pay of those who miss games due to Covid protocols, and Voller has dubbed those that refuse to get their vaccine “extremely indecent”.
“It wasn't the case with us that everyone was enthusiastic right from the start. Convincing everyone [to become vaccinated] is not that easy,” the former forward admitted to Kicker.
“We also had two, three, four – those have seen it differently for a while.”
All of the players and staff at his club are now double-jabbed. “Basically, anyone who has no medical reason to object should get vaccinated," insisted Voller.
“If not, I find that extremely indecent. That is my personal opinion.
“These people must now also bear the consequences – I'm not just talking about football, but generally and not about any player X or Y. I hope that there is still a turning point.”
A depleted Die Roten lost 2-1 at Augsburg on Friday, leaving them just a point clear of Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga after Erling Haaland's side won by the same scoreline at home to Stuttgart.
Ex-Bayern chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told Sky: “If what is reported is correct, it is to be understood as a sign that the association is now reacting. Because it has to react.
“The viewer income is less due to the access restrictions – that is a loss of income for the club.
“I know from a reliable source that there have been many discussions on the topic with the players. The result was seen in Augsburg. If important players are missing, it also affects Bayern."
On the same program, ex-Liverpool player Dietmar Hamann said that it "cannot be that Kimmich continues to receive his salary”.
Amid the the vilifying of Kimmich since he revealed his vaccination status and “concerns" over getting jabbed, it has been estimated that he could lose around €400,000 ($450,000) per week in pay.
The quartet of players were reportedly ordered to Bayern's offices on Thursday morning.
Gnabry could lose around $153,000, Musiala an estimated $109,000 and Choupo-Moting around $78,000 per week.
The players are said to have been told they will not receive pay for the week in which they are quarantined. Cuisance, who is thought to earn around $36,000 a week, is also reportedly unvaccinated.
Bayern, who have already qualified for the knockout stages, host Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League on Tuesday, when anything less than a win for their opponents will ensure the Ukrainian side are eliminated.
Barcelona and Benfica are also battling for second place in Group E.