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Munich, Bayern, Germany
Germanyâs top-flight league â Bundesliga â will resume on May 16, as confirmed by the German Football League (DFL) on Thursday as it becomes the first major European league to restart amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The final matchday of the Bundesliga 2019-20 season will be played on June 27/28 as the German league looks to end the halted campaign under the terms of a strict health protocol that bans fans from the stadium.
High-profile Ruhr derby between Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04 is scheduled to be played on the relaunch day.
While it was no normal restart given the empty stands and other restrictions, it was crucial to resume play, DFL CEO Christian Seifert told a news conference after a meeting with first and second division clubs following Angela Merkel-led governmentâs decision to give a nod to Bundesligaâs restart.
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The DFL, in all likelihood, will finish the season by June 30 to be contractually in compliance with sponsors and broadcasters. The sporting body had warned any further delay could be âexistence-threateningâ for some clubs.
âThe season finale will take place at the end of June,â Seifert said.
Bundesliga, like all other major footballing leagues, has been on a pause since mid-March due to COVID-19 outbreak.
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Bundesligaâs progress following the resumption is likely to be closely watched by other leagues contemplating to restart their respective season.
German clubs have been training since mid-April under strict conditions including COVID-19 testing of players and coaching staff. The country has reported more than 166,000 infections and more than 7,000 deaths.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich, chasing an eighth successive title, lead the standings with 55 points off 25 matches and are four ahead of Borussia Dortmund with Red Bull Leipzig sitting third with 50 points to their name. There are nine rounds of matches left to play.