06 April 2020, Berlin: A sign on the fence of the stadium “An der Alten Försterei” shows the … [+]
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It is a glimmer of hope for all Bundesliga fans amidst the coronavirus pandemic. On Saturday, epidemiologist Alexander Kekulé told German television ZDF that so-called Geisterspiele (ghost games) as Germans call matches behind closed doors, is in principle possible in May. “Players are not part of a risk group,” he said. 20,000 tests until the end of the season would be required to ensure players are healthy.
Kekulé is one of the most prominent epidemiologists in Germany and was one of the earliest specialists to warn the public about the dangers of the COVID-19 pandemic. His statement is, therefore, a glimmer of hope, Kekulé is considered a conservative and his statement that games are possible in May, therefore, comes as a positive signal for a league in serious financial danger.
06 April 2020, North Rhine-Westphalia, Gelsenkirchen: Schalke’s Bastian Oczipka (l) and Schalke’s … [+]
dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
On Friday, media reports in Germany suggested that 13 out of 36 Bundesliga sides could be in severe financial problems should football not resume in May. The situation appears to be especially critical in Bundesliga 2. Without football, seven clubs could might be unable to pay their bills by the end of May. Two more clubs are impacted by the end of June should they not receive television money.
In the first division, one club is in a critical situation. Without football, three more clubs could face financial uncertainty by the end of June. Even with part-time work by employees, the financial situation is critical.
The Bundesliga is a significant industry in Germany. About 56,000 people are directly or indirectly employed by the Deutsche Fußball Liga, the governing body of the first and second division in Germany. As reported earlier, German football could lose in the region of €770 million in television money should the league not be finished.
Games behind closed doors could, therefore, be a critical mechanism to secure the financial future of several Bundesliga sides. Kekulé’s statements on German television have, therefore, brought a sense of optimism to German football that football could be resumed next month.
Bayern Munich’s players attend a training session of the German first division Bundesliga team FC … [+]
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Some clubs have returned to practice. Bayern Munich returned to practice on Monday, players trained in groups in fours and fives. It was the first session on the Säbener Straße in three weeks. Previously, the club used video conference sessions to train players.
Other teams have also returned to training sessions. One problem has been finding a training solution for all clubs. Every state in Germany has different social distancing or lockdown procedures, which means some clubs are allowed to train in bigger groups than others. Werder Bremen, for example, were among the last to be allowed back on the pitch because the Senat in Bremen did not permit training sessions. It was not until Monday afternoon that players were allowed to train in small groups of four.
With training sessions underway at all 18 clubs, the likelihood of games in May becomes a bigger possibility. But much will depend on the German government. For now, the lockdowns and social distancing rules (depending on the different states) stay in effect until after the Easter holidays on Apr. 20 (here rules also differ from state to state, Bavaria’s lockdown, for example, is in place until Apr. 19).
Manuel Veth is the editor-in-chief of the Futbolgrad Network and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth