Germany's two highest football divisions, the Bundesliga and the Zweite Bundesliga, will resume their league championships on 16 May, the German Professional League (DFL) announced on Thursday.
On Wednesday, after a video conference between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and representatives of the country's 16 federal states, the German government gave the go-ahead to resume the competition without fans present. The Bundesliga has nine match days to go in the competition.
The DFL and the German Football Association (DFB) have provided the clubs with a detailed manual on how to organise the matches safely. Extensive screening will also be continued.
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In a first series of tests, ten people have tested positive for coronavirus, out of a total of 1,724 tests carried out. Clubs will also have to take strict measures, including a brief quarantine period, before the competition starts.
If all goes according to plan, the season will end on the weekend of 27 and 28 June, with the Cup final possibly being played at the beginning of July.
In other European leagues, the season is over for France and the Netherlands, and Italy and England have yet to decide when to resume their competitions. The Spanish league, LaLiga, hopes to restart from 13 June.
In Belgium, the National Security Council decided on Wednesday to ban all competitions before 31 July, including the Pro League. An official reaction from the Pro League is expected on 15 May, when it has its General Assembly.
The Brussels Times
