Bundesliga to relaunch next week

Berlin – The Bundesliga season will restart next Saturday, the German Football League (DFL) said yesterday, becoming the first European league to resume amid the coronavirus epidemic.

The DFL said the season would resume under the terms of a strict health protocol that bans fans from the stadium, with several matches including the Ruhr valley derby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 taking place on the relaunch day.

While it was no normal restart given the empty stands and other restrictions, it was crucial to resume play, DFL CEO Christian Seifert told a news conference.

He was speaking after a meeting with first and second division clubs following the government’s decision on Wednesday to give the green light for the Bundesliga restart and throw a financial lifeline to the cash-strapped clubs.

The DFL is desperate to finish the season by 30 June, even without spectators, to be contractually in compliance with sponsors and broadcasters. It had warned any further delay could be “existence-threatening” for some clubs.

“The season finale will take place at the end of June,” Seifert said, with 27-28 June as a likely date.

The league has been on hold since mid-March because of the coronavirus outbreak, which has brought football to a standstill around the world.

Germany’s progress in resuming matches is likely to be closely watched by other leagues.

The country’s professional teams have been training since mid-April, divided into small groups and under strict conditions, including extensive Covid-19 testing of all players and coaching staff.

The country has reported more than 166 000 infections and more than 7 000 deaths, and officials said yesterday the coronavirus crisis was far from over despite the country slowly re-opening its economy and trying to get life back to normal.

Bayern Munich, chasing an eighth successive title, lead the table with 55 points from 25 games, four ahead of Borussia Dortmund with RB Leipzig third on 50, with nine rounds to play. –