Coronavirus: Bundesliga season slated for 16 May restart
The DFL proposal for the season to get back underway within strict health guidelines was described as "prudent and acceptable" by the relevant authorities.
The Bundesliga could be set for a 16 May restart after a meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her cabinet held on Thursday. The final decision will be made next week when Merkel and the other relevant parties will reconvence to take "very clear decisions" on the sports sector in general, which has been shut down since the coronavirus pandemic hit Germany in mid-March.
According to German daily Bild, Head of the Chancellery Helge Braun has been tasked with drawing up a plan that would allow the Bundesliga season to restart on Saturday 16 May - the same day that the 2019-20 campaign was originally due to conclude. The Bundesliga has presented a blueprint for the return of football with protocols in place in the case that a player tests positive for Covid-19 and strict measures to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus. The proposal was described as "prudent and acceptable."
Merkel: "We must stick to health guidelines"
Players will be monitored by an appointed team health and safety official and will undergo regular testing. An infection to a player will be reported to authorities who will be in charge of any other steps. The team, however, will not be automatically quarantined.
"It is absolutely necessary that we remain disciplined and stick to health guidelines," Merkel said on Thursday, adding that approval of the Bundesliga's plan of action was paramount to the season getting back underway.
The German Football League (DFL) has warned that many top division teams will be in an "existence-threatening" financial position if play does not resume by June.