Bundesliga to resume on May 15th, 2020

The Bundesliga in Germany is set to become Europe’s first major football league to resume playing during the coronavirus pandemic, with a restart confirmed for this month, it was announced on Wednesday.

Germany’s government and it’s federal states have given the green light to start again, with the date due to be decided when the German Football League (DFL) meets for an Ordinary Assembly on Thursday. The earliest possible return date is May 15, which some clubs appeared to confirm on Wednesday, with a May 22 start also considered.

The league has nine matchdays remaining, and there is a commitment to finish the season by June 30. Fans will not be allowed into stadiums, with a ban on mass gatherings in Germany until Aug. 31. Bayern Munich lead the Bundesliga by four points.

Christian Seifert, chief executive of the DFL, 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 organizational requirements in a disciplined manner.

“Games without spectators 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.”

“The eyes of Europe and all of the world will be on us,” Germany and Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer wrote in an op-ed in German broadsheet FAZ on Wednesday. The goalkeeper highlighted the responsibility on German football’s shoulders and said it has acted as a role model for society.