This archive report was first published on 6 May 2020.
On May 6, 2020, a video of Hertha Berlin forward Salomon Kalou shaking hands with his teammates sparked outrage among German politicians, who are set to decide whether the Bundesliga can resume later this month.
German politicians, including Anja Stahmann, chairwoman of Germany's regional sports ministers, expressed shock and disappointment over the video, which they felt discredited the German league (DFL) and professional football.
Stahmann told radio station RBB that the video left a bad impression, saying, 'Some people think the Bundesliga has lost its grip in times of a pandemic.'
Hertha Berlin suspended Kalou after he posted the video to Facebook, which showed him greeting team-mates and club employees with handshakes, flaunting hygiene guidelines laid out by the league.
Kalou apologized for disregarding the social distancing rules, saying, 'It was a big mistake.' He also acknowledged that his actions could have played a role in the league's decision to seek permission to return to action.
German health minister Jens Spahn said it was 'right' that Hertha suspended Kalou, and Bavaria's premier minister Markus Soeder criticized individual players for behaving poorly, despite the league's 'excellent' hygiene concept.
