German Chancellor Angela Merkel has come to the rescue of the Bundesliga and gave the green light to restart the league from mid-May. However, the league will have to be played behind closed doors.
This in the midst of the Netherlands abandoning their Erevidisie season last week while the French League has announced it will not resume Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 season and Paris Saint Germain awarded the top-flight title.
Merkel’s announcement made the Bundesliga the first of Europe’s five major leagues to return to the field which will breathe financial life as 13 of the 36 teams in Germany’s top two divisions are reportedly on the brink of bankruptcy.
Bundesliga matches will have to comply to approves rules with the matches to be played in empty stadiums and the players will be regularly tested.Â
The Bundesliga which employs up to 56,000 persons was suspended in mid-March. The league’s return will enable it to claim some 300 million euros from TV contracts if the season is completed. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH