Bundesliga May 15 restart possible after Angela Merkel’s u-turn on 2 week quarantine measures

Angela Merkel’s u-turn on 2 week quarantine measures

Much of the UK media went to print on Wednesday morning with reports that the Bundesliga resumption date could be pushed back.

Reuters reported earlier this week that the top two flights in Germany could resume on May 15. That’s nine days away.

However, on Wednesday morning, ahead of a meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the heads of the regional governments, reports leaked that the Bundesliga may only restart on May 22.

According to initial reports, Merkel was insisting on all Bundesliga clubs enduring a 2 week quarantine before football could resume.

The Bundesliga will be allowed back but not immediately. Government requires a two week quarantine for all teams. Earliest return on May 22, might even be 29. More on @TheAthleticUK soon.

— Raphael Honigstein (@honigstein) May 6, 2020

However, as confirmed by the Athletic’s Rafa Honingstein, Merkel changed her mind on the 2 week quarantine within a matter of hours.

She’s now dropped her request to 1 week only.

Update! Merkel’s initial proposal (leaked to media) demanded “a two-week quarantine” for Bundesliga clubs. A second version has now crucially removed the “two-week” bit. One week, as per the league’s medical paper, might be seen as sufficient – which would bring us back to May 15

— Raphael Honigstein (@honigstein) May 6, 2020

It’s a moving situation. Merkel changed her proposal in the space of a few hours.

— Raphael Honigstein (@honigstein) May 6, 2020

 

Bundesliga May 15 restart remains possible

The upshot of Merkel’s u-turn is that the Bundesliga could still resume on May 15.

That’s despite the fact that, on Monday, 10 new positive Covid-19 cases were revealed in German football.

More details are now leaking out about which clubs have been affected by the positive tests.

Bundesliga side Cologne originally reported that three members of their organisation had contracted the virus, while it’s since been confirmed that two positive cases have came from Borussia Mönchengladbach.

 

Borussia Dortmund back mid-May restart

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has spoken to RTL about the possible resumption of the Bundesliga season

BVB are keen to have the season back in the middle of May.

BVB CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke on a Bundesliga restart tells RTL. “My big wish would be the 16 May, which would really put us in a position to end the season properly on 30 June. We must do that otherwise we have to live with a regressive situation.”

— Derek Rae (@RaeComm) May 6, 2020

Watzke insisted ⚽️ doesn’t want “an extra Wurst (sausage).”
“It’s not so much that we just want to play our sport again. More that sport is our profession. We would very much like to work again.” He said in testing, “1 or 2 cases” could be found in asymptomatic people.

— Derek Rae (@RaeComm) May 6, 2020

Watzke: “We’re now in a position where we are relatively sure that, if the Bundesliga restarts, it will be healthy people versus healthy people and that is the ideal requirement.”

— Derek Rae (@RaeComm) May 6, 2020

 

Also see: Best Netflix, Amazon & YouTube football documentaries & movies to watch during coronavirus isolation

9 best football documentaries to watch on ESPN+ during COVID-19 quarantine

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