Bundesliga players will be back on the pitch from May 15. The date for the resumption of the German championship, interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, was officially set Wednesday evening, a few hours after the German government gave the green light. The prestigious Bundesliga will therefore be the first major championship to be restarted, on the basis of draconian sanitary measures and behind closed doors, with no spectators in the stadiums.
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France has drawn a line under the end of the season last week and England, Spain and Italy hope, at best, to resume in June. Other countries have already set their resumption date, including the small championship of the Faroe Islands (May 9), Serbia (May 30) or even Turkey (June 12). By playing the last nine days, the Bundesliga (D1 and D2) will recover 300 million euros in TV rights. Enough to give some air to a disaster area, which employs in Germany 56,000 people.
Doctors warn Bundesliga
To get the green light from the government, the League presented a very comprehensive medical protocol, based on the multiplication of tests for the detection of coronavirus and on countless protective measures. In particular, the teams must isolate themselves one week before the first match. The danger, although it appears statistically low, has not however been ruled out. Dr. Wilhelm Bloch of the Cologne Higher School of Sport warned on Wednesday of the serious consequences that a pulmonary infection can have for professional athletes: "An athlete must take into account the fact that an infection can mean the end of his career, "he warns.
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The German Football League announced on Monday that ten out of 1,724 people tested in first and second division clubs were positive. The bet to resume football will be won only if this figure remains very low, and that no club is forced to forfeit because of too many infections.