German Bundesliga is brimming with hope as it received good news on Wednesday that it could resume 2019/2020 season in mid May placing Bundesliga on the path of being the first of Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues to resume amidst coronavirus pandemic.
German chancellor Angela Merkel disclosed to the local authorities on Wednesday that the season could restart mid May, although no actual date was given.
The German Football League (DFL) which comprises 36 clubs would hold a conference meeting on Thursday to deliberate on the actual resumption date.
There are nine more matches remaining for the league to play which it has hoped to complete by June 30.
“Today’s decision is good news for the Bundesliga and the Bundesliga 2,” said, Christian Seifert, chief executive of the DFL
“It is associated with a great responsibility for the clubs and their employees to implement the medical and organisational requirements in a disciplined manner,” Seifert added.
Seifert however admits that playing matches without spectators is not ideal, but it is the only way to contain the current situation.
“Games behind closed doors are not an ideal solution for anyone. In a crisis threatening the very existence of some clubs, however, it is the only way to keep the leagues in their current form.
“On this day, I would like to thank the political decision-makers from the federal and state governments for their trust,” said Seifert
Speaking about the development, Borussia Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said that people have well managed themselves during the coronavirus crisis which he said is a good determinant in the new phase of the clubs going back into normalcy.
“We’re very pleased that the people in Germany – and, from a regional point of view, the people in Dortmund and the surrounding area – have conducted themselves so magnificently in recent weeks that the spread of the pandemic could at least be contained,” Watzke said.
“It is only thanks to the incredible discipline on the part of the population that we can now, gradually and in small steps, move on to another form of normality,” he added.
He therefore pledged that Borussia Dortmund would ensure that players and other staff do everything possible to prevent any new infections.
“In this context, we at Borussia Dortmund are aware we have a great responsibility. We will – in the knowledge there can be no guarantees – do everything in our power to ensure the highest-possible degree of safety in order to prevent any new infections among the players and their families,” he pledged.
“Having to play behind closed doors is an enormous challenge, especially for a club like BVB, which draws a lot of strength from the passion of its supporters. However, it would not have been economically viable for the clubs to allow the Bundesliga to pause until spectators were allowed back into the stadiums,” he continued.
Covid-19 Tests have been regularly carried out on all players in the 36 German clubs. The German Football League (DFL) announced earlier this week that about ten individuals tested positive for the virus out of about 1,724 tests conducted. The League said all of the ten infected individuals have been isolated.
