Live sports will return to Europe sometime soon. Following Germany’s federal and state governments deeming it safe for sports to conditionally resume on Wednesday, it was determined that the nation’s top soccer league, the Bundesliga, will resume play sometime later this month. The exact return date of the league, which has not taken the pitch since March 8 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is still to be determined.
The news of the Bundesliga and its second division, 2.Bundesliga, relaunching comes after France’s top league, Ligue 1, called its season, while the top league in the Netherlands, the Eredivisie, cancelled its campaign altogether. Additionally, England is in the midst of trying to figure out what to do with the Premier League, something that applies for Italy’s Serie A, Spain’s La Liga, and the major European competitions, the Champions League and Europa League. In a statement, Bundesliga CEO Christian Seifert said “Today’s decision is good news for the Bundesliga and the Bundesliga 2. It is associated with a great responsibility for the clubs and their employees to implement the medical and organisational requirements in a disciplined manner.”
Due to Germany’s ban on mass gatherings that extends through August 31, fans will not be in attendance for matches, something that Seifert acknowledged is necessary, albeit “not an ideal solution.” Currently, the plan is for the league’s nine remaining matchdays to be played out between now and June 30, an important day in the global football calendar as it is the last day that players are under contract with their various clubs.
There is, of course, serious concern about making sure everyone is safe while these games are underway, even if fans are not around. The novel coronavirus does not discriminate, as evidenced by testing that has recently occurred, but there is no demand for clubs to isolate all of their players should someone test positive.
Via ESPN:
Players and staff have been tested for the coronavirus, and in a first wave, 1,724 tests were conducted on all 36 clubs of the upper two tiers late last week. Ten cases of COVID-19 were identified and reported to health authorities. Not all cases were made public, as the DFL asked clubs not to report cases individually. Full results from a second round of testing have yet to be released, although on the eve of Wednesday’s decision, second-division club Erzgebirge Aue put their entire squad in home isolation after a member of staff tested positive.
Infected people must isolate, but the DFL’s plan does not require full-squad isolation. The league has asked clubs to go into the final part of the season with a squad that can be filled with reserve or under-19 players.
The Bundesliga is perhaps the most compelling domestic league on earth. Many of the teams play an aggressive, up-tempo style of football, while its race to crown a champion has been a joy to watch all year. Currently, Bayern Munich sits atop the table on 55 points, with four teams in shouting distance of taking down the German giants: Borussia Dortmund (51 points), RB Leipzig (50 points), Borussia Monchengladbach (49 points), and Bayer Leverkeusen (47 points).
