Bundesliga to resume in May, German government confirms

Chancellor Angela Merkel has confirmed that the currently halted Bundesliga season could resume this month.

If that happens, Bundesliga would become the first major domestic league in Europe to return to action. According to reports, the DFL (German Football League) has told the clubs participating in the Bundesliga that the current season might restart on 15 May.

It has already been decided that all games would be conducted behind closed doors when the tournament resumes.

As of now, Bayern Munich is leading the table as they are four points ahead of Borussia Dortmund. All the clubs have nine matches remaining in their schedule.

Although Merkel confirmed that the league would return, she didn't reveal the probable start date yet. On Thursday, German clubs and the DFL would meet in a video conference, where the restart date would be confirmed.

Bayern Munich chairman Karl Heinz Rummenigge said, "I would like to thank the politicians for giving today's decision [and for] the opportunity to finish the Bundesliga season. We are now looking forward to resuming play, ideally from mid-May. This ensures that the sporting decisions are made on the pitch. I appeal to everyone involved to follow the requirements, which are the basis for resuming games, in an exemplary and extremely disciplined manner."

DFL chief executive, Christian Seifert, claimed that the government's decision to allow football to return is good news for both the Bundesliga and the Bundesliga 2.

He also stressed on the clubs' responsibility towards implementing adequate medical support to ensure the safety of the players and other staff members.

Seifert stated that although playing in front of empty stands isn't an ideal solution, it is the only way to ensure that the sport goes on despite the crisis.

The government's announcement was made just a day after two German divisions conducted 1,724 coronavirus tests, which returned with 10 positive results.

Previously, the DFL had warned that numerous top-division teams would face an "existence-threatening" financial crisis in case the league could not be resumed by June. Meanwhile, players have already returned to training.

According to the BBC, the German government has banned any kind of crowd gathering until October 24. Although the matches will be held behind closed doors, about 300 people would be present in the stadium during each of those games.

Germany is among the top seven worst-hit countries in the world, with over 168,000 coronavirus positive cases and more than 7,000 deaths. The country has recorded a much lower death rate as compared to other western European countries like Spain, Italy, and the UK.