This archive report was first published on 7 May 2020.
Chancellor Angela Merkel and state leaders have given the green light for the Bundesliga to resume on May 15, 2020, after weeks of shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The German Football League (DFL) confirmed the restart date on May 6, 2020, after weighing up all the arguments.
Germany's top-flight league will become the first of Europe's major leagues to return to the field, with matches allowed under approved rules.
Permission was granted on condition that strict guidelines are followed, including the appointment of a hygiene officer to each team, to prevent the contagion of the virus.
Bayern Munich and Germany captain Manuel Neuer said the players now have an 'enormous responsibility' to be role models and follow the hygiene guidelines.
Representatives from the 36 clubs in the country's top two divisions will finalise details in a videoconference on May 7, 2020.
Germany has about 165,000 coronavirus cases and 7,000 deaths, meaning it has so far prevented its hospitals becoming as overburdened as other European countries.
Economic reasons are also driving the decision to allow football to resume, with 13 of the 36 teams in Germany's top two divisions reportedly on the brink of bankruptcy.
The league desperately needs to claim around 300 million euros ($325 million) from TV contracts if the season is completed.
Teams returned to training on April 6, 2020, although sessions have followed stringent social distancing rules.
The league says its intensive testing plan allows matches to be relaunched with low risk to health, with so far 10 positive results for coronavirus from 1,724 tests since training resumed.
