Soccer fans around the world will be celebrating this week, as they will finally get a sense of normality when the sport resumes to their screen next weekend. It was officially revealed on Wednesday afternoon that the Bundesliga will be resuming after chancellor Angela Merkel gave the green light on the competition. The news didn’t come as much of a shock for fans, as many believed that the German division would be the first to re-start in Europe.
Germany have reacted extremely well compared to the rest of Europe following the outbreak of COVID-19, as they have had just over 150,000 cases. That number is lower than Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom and France. Meanwhile, there have been just over 7,000 deaths in Germany, which is over half the amount that has been recorded in the countries just mentioned. Merkel announced on Wednesday that the country would be relaxing their lockdown measures, with shops beginning to re-open. However, sports fans will be most excited about the prospect of Bundesliga action.
Bundesliga Action To Resume On 15th
However, it will be unlikely any other season, as football will be played behind closed doors as part of the strict measures to ensure that the virus doesn’t spread. The second tier in Germany will also restart in May, with 2. Bundesliga set to restart in the second half of May. Following the government’s decision, it was up to the DFL to decide on when the action resumes, with the organisers deciding that the 15th would be the best possible date. Clubs have already been preparing for the restart as they have been in training since last month.
Germany’s decision to resume play comes just two weeks after it was revealed that the Eredivisie and Ligue 1 would be cancelled. The latter of these made the decision to end the season as it stood, with PSG crowned champions. However, that decision has been met with backlash with a number of clubs already threatening legal action. Merkel also revealed that there would be no need for players to be in quarantine as there are testing measures already in place.
What Is Still To Play For?
The Bundesliga is renowned for being one of the most competitive leagues in Europe, and there are a host of aspects that are still to be decided. The most obvious of those would be the destination of the Bundesliga title, with Bayern Munich currently holding a slender 4-point advantage over Borussia Dortmund. RB Leipzig would also believe that they are still in the title race as they are a further point behind.
There is still a race for European places, with Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen competing for the final Champions League spot, while Schalke, Wolfsburg, Freiburg and Hoffenheim will be competing for a place in the Europa League. Meanwhile, at the bottom of the table, Werder Bremen and Fortuna Dusseldorf will be hoping to escape relegation, while Paderborn already look doomed at the bottom of the table. The majority of teams in the Bundesliga have nine games remaining, with Eintracht Frankfurt and Werder Bremen having ten.
