Bundesliga Football In May? DFL Introduces COVID-19 Masterplan

There is an ever-increasing chance the Bundesliga will return in May, although games will take place behind closed doors. On Monday, the Prime Ministers of Bavaria and North-Rhine Westphalia, as well as the Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn, have told Germany’s paper Bild that starting on May 9, games could in principle be possible behind closed doors. A final decision in this regard is expected on Apr. 30.

On Thursday, the governing body of the Bundesliga, Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL), outlined their plan to get games back going. It has to be underlined that any final decision to restart football in Germany has to be made by the political decision-makers.

First and foremost, the Bundesliga has come to an agreement with television partners for early payments. This will enable Bundesliga clubs to stay afloat, but should the season not start again or is interrupted indefinitely, some mechanisms will lead to reimbursement of payments. In other words, although the league has received television money, that money is still contingent on football being completed this season. 

The DFL also announced that Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs are prepared to continue the current season in May without any stadium audiences. The league also provided information on how football can be restarted.

Here the DFL will work together with Prof. Dr. Tim Meyer, who will head the “Sports Medicine / Special Match Operations Task Force”. The task force will ensure that players and personal working at league games will keep within high social-hygiene standards before, during, and after league games. 

One aspect the league has been criticized for in recent weeks has been the number of tests required to finish league games. Estimates suggest that the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 would require 20,000 tests until the end of the season. The league has now secured a cooperation agreement with a total of five laboratory associations.

The five laboratories are part of the German Accredited Laboratories Medicine—Sonic Healthcare, LADR, Labor Berlin, Synlab, and Labor Dr. Wisplinghoff. Furthermore, the league also concluded a contract for extensive antibody testing among players in the form of a clinical study had been concluded with Sonic Healthcare.

All laboratories have guaranteed the DFL that their current capacity is sufficient and that COVID-19 tests of Bundesliga players will not restrict or limit testing capacities. The league also pointed out that the Robert Koch Institue in Germany reported on Apr. 22 that the overall testing volume in the country is 818,000 tests per week. The 20,000 tests needed would, therefore, take up just 0.4% of the current testing capacity—the government is also hopeful of increasing testing in the coming weeks. 

The league, however, has also introduced mechanisms to increase further testing. The DFL has donated €500,000 ($550,000) to be used in publicly funded healthcare, in coordination with the German Federal Ministry of Health to increase testing for frontline workers. The league also pledged tests that were not used by players to be donated to frontline workers. 

Finally, the league also outlined matchday proceedings. No more than 213 people will be present during Bundesliga games. A maximum of 213 persons will be allowed inside the stadiums—98 of those in and around the pitch. No fans will be permitted. Bundesliga 2 games will see a maximum of just 188 persons. 

The Bundesliga also expanded on the solidarity fund that was provided by this year’s Champions League participants. €7.5 million ($8.2 million) will be made available for clubs in Liga 3 and the Women’s Bundesliga. Altogether an impressive package of decisions that will hopefully pave the way for Bundesliga football to get underway in May and help secure the livelihood of some of the 56,000 jobs tied to top-flight football in Germany. 

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