Bundesliga restart plans: May 15 or May 22
On Wednesday, German football received the go-ahead to prepare for the resumption of the Bundesliga.
The top two divisions in German could start up again on May 15. Alternatively, the league could begin a week later on May 22.
Many are celebrating the plans to resume the Bundesliga. It’s set to be the first tier one European league to begin again after the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus.
Thursday Kicker cover that will be collector‘s item no doubt. “Wieder Anpfiff.” (Kick Off Again.) In a thoughtful editorial by chief editor Jörg Jakob, the headline is “Now everyone carries a responsibility and under extreme scrutiny.” pic.twitter.com/tpBzWMbGif
— Derek Rae (@RaeComm) May 6, 2020
Bundesliga referees haven’t been tested for Covid-19
However, in the latest edition of Kicker magazine, another major problem has been flagged up.
Kicker (via SportBuzzer) report that not a single referee who is likely to officiate any of the games in the Bundesligas 1 or 2 has been tested for Covid-19.
By contrast, the German FA have already conducted 1,724 tests on players and staff at the respective clubs in their first wave of testing.
What happens if one of the referees, or assistant referees, test positive for Covid-19?
Kicker believe that if any referee turns up a positive coronavirus result, they’ll have to go into quarantine for 14-days.
That scenario could impact the Bundesliga’s restart plans.
Compounding this problem, report Kicker, is that several referees are currently unavailable due to injuries.
Kicker also posing the question “are referees ready for the restart?” The magazine says at the time of publication they believe no match officials have been tested for #COVID19. Also asking how well equipped refs are for example in the Video-Assist Centre in Köln re masks etc?
— Derek Rae (@RaeComm) May 6, 2020
VAR social distancing problems
A secondary issue – which feels a little less urgent – is how will VAR operate in this new environment?
In Germany, the 4-man VAR team sit in a closed room in Cologne which currently isn’t set up to adhere to social distancing measures.
What’s next?
A meeting is scheduled for today for the Referee Elite Commission in Germany.
26 Bundesliga referees will in one meeting, while 22 Bundesliga 2 referees will sit on another conference call.
Kicker report that some referees feel that the current protocols aren’t sufficient to protect their safety.
Premier League takeaway…
Within all the discussions of Project Restart and relaunching the Premier League, there’s also been no meaningful discussion about the referees.
Of course, referees are older than the footballers, and some of them may be, or feel, at greater risk if they contract Covid-19.
Also see: Premier League & Championship plan to live stream 200 games with up to 4 matches per day.
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