This archive report was first published on 6 May 2020.
On Wednesday, May 6, 2020, the German government and state leaders are set to give the Bundesliga the green light to restart behind closed doors in May after weeks of shutdown imposed to control the spread of the coronavirus.
The decision is aimed at limiting the economic damage for the 36 clubs in the first and second divisions, with more than a dozen teams on the brink of bankruptcy.
According to a draft government agreement, restarting matches in the two divisions is considered 'acceptable' to recoup the 300 million euros ($325 million) the league would be due from TV contracts if the clubs are allowed to complete the season.
Chancellor Angela Merkel and state premiers will set a date for the season to resume in a telephone conference later Wednesday, with media reporting May 21 as a possible candidate.
The Bundesliga would become the first major European league to return to action.
As part of the plan, players will undergo a two-week quarantine, where appropriate, in the form of a training camp, before match activity resumes.
Teams returned to training on April 6, following stringent social distancing rules, with players not allowed to change at training grounds.
So far, clubs in the top two divisions have returned 10 positive results from 1,724 coronavirus tests since training resumed, with three cases from the Cologne club and two from Borussia Moenchengladbach.
