Germany’s Bundesliga is set to become the first major European league to resume amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
The decision was made during a video conference on Thursday April 23, between representatives of all 36 clubs in the top two divisions decided to restart games on May 9, after the remaining league matches were initially suspended due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
Matches will take place behind closed doors with a maximum of 322 people allowed in and around stadiums for top-flight Bundesliga matches and 270 for second-tier games.
DFL CEO Christian Seifert said: ‘The Bundesliga is ready to resume, no matter whether on May 9 or a later date. But it’s not up to us to find a date. The political decision-makers decide. We have not defined an exact date today. The fact that we are even able to think about resuming games underlines the performance of the German authorities. It would be presumptuous for the DFL to name an exact date for the restart. It’s not in our hands if we return or when. We have several options. If the signal comes in the next week that it can be May 9, then it will be May 9.”