German football has taken another major step towards the resumption of the first division "Bundesliga" next month, with the Ministry of Labor agreeing on Wednesday to return plans following the outbreak of the new Corona virus.
"The safety of the players, the coaches and the rest of the equipment can be largely guaranteed if the idea is fully implemented," said Bjorn Bohnning, secretary of the Ministry of Labor, to the "RND" media group.
The League has developed a detailed plan for the resumption of matches, starting on May 9. This includes setting up matches without fans with regular player testing and strict hygiene procedures.
Players will be semi-isolated, which means they must commit to staying in their homes, stadiums or traveling outside home games.
Bohning added that the association's plan was "reasonable, low risk and acceptable in terms of occupational health and safety."
The sports ministers of the 16 German states have announced that the league may resume its activities from "mid-May to end".
Sports ministers met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday and announced in a statement that the league's resumption was "justified" for the league, in order for the competitions to "resume in empty stadiums" from "mid to the end of May."
Merkel will meet with the heads of the 16 German states tomorrow, Thursday, as the association hopes to get the green light to resume football. But a decision on this matter is expected next week.
The Bundesliga stopped in mid-March due to an outbreak of the Corona virus, which has killed more than 6,000 people in the country.
The 18 clubs in the First Division have re-trained in the past three weeks, but in small groups, with social distance even on the pitch.
The association appears determined to end the league on June 30 to ensure clubs receive revenue from television rights of 300 million euros, in light of reports indicating that 13 of the 36 clubs in the first and second classes are on the verge of bankruptcy.