The Bundesliga are aiming to become the first major European league to resume action – with a return set for early May amid the coronavirus outbreak.
All 18 teams in the German Bundesliga have recommenced training, while following health guidelines.
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And chief executive officer Christian of the Bundesliga Seifert told the New York Times that action is set to get back underway at all 36 stadiums in Germany’s top two tiers.
The remaining nine fixtures will be completed by the end of June… before the Premier League is likely to have gotten back underway at all.
But there will be no fans in the stadiums, with German football’s return to be a television only event.
Seifert confirmed that matches are set to remain behind closed doors for the duration of 2020.
Germany has the fifth-highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world, with over 107,000 to date.
But their survival rate has been the highest on the planet, as they possess the best testing resources.
This means that football could safely resume without placing extra burden on the healthcare system.
“It won’t be the case that one doctor or one nurse that is really relevant for the system cannot be tested because football players have to be tested,” Seifert said.
“The concept is to give certainty to players, to their families and to society as well.”
It is predicted that around 240 people will be required for each match.
This includes players, coaching staff, medical staff, match officials and production staff.
Regulations are being set to ensure that game days go smoothly and that training can be conducted in a hygienic way – as well as the measures to be taken if a player was to contract Covid-19.
Much has been made of the financial burden that football’s suspension is having on many clubs worldwide, with Seifert at pains to stress how important the resumption would be for clubs “fighting to survive”.
The Bundesliga chief has also predicted that the transfer window will “collapse” this summer.
He continued: “In the short term I would say the transfer market this summer will not exist, it will collapse.
“Some agents will suddenly understand that they will have to work hard, or at least work; some leagues will understand that money is nothing that is coming automatically every month from heaven.”
