LAST UPDATE | 6 May 2020
GERMAN CHANCELLOR Angela Merkel today gave the Bundesliga the go-ahead to resume from mid-May behind closed doors, on condition that strict hygiene measures are maintained to prevent contagion of the novel coronavirus.
Following the green light, the German Football League (DFL) must now set a date to resume with the weekends of 16-17 or 23-24 May as possible options — becoming the first of Europe’s top five leagues to return to the field.
More than a dozen of the top 36 teams in the two divisions are on the brink of bankruptcy, according to media reports, and the league desperately needs to recoup €300 million it would be due from TV contracts if the clubs are allowed to complete the season.
The DFL has long urged restarting play, which it says is vital for a sector that employs 56,000 people in Germany.
