This archive report was first published on 11 May 2020.
On May 16, the Bundesliga will become the first top European league to restart matches since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) forced lockdown measures across the continent.
However, the restart is not without its challenges. The entire squad of second-tier Dynamo Dresden was placed under quarantine on Saturday after testing uncovered two new coronavirus cases.
DFL boss Christian Seifert downplayed the setback, stating, 'It's not a reason to call the entire season into question.' He added that the restart was always going to be a challenging time, saying, 'We're at the very beginning of the restart.'
Matches will be played behind closed doors with a maximum of 300 people, including both teams, allowed at each game. In the run-up to the restart, all teams must go into a one-week quarantine training camp.
Seifert acknowledged that further coronavirus cases could throw a spanner in the works, saying, 'It can reach a scale where it's not feasible anymore.' He added that the season is slated to end on June 30, and that some matches could be postponed until early July.
The quarantine means that Dynamo, who are bottom of the second division, will not be able to play their fixture against Hanover next weekend. As well as the players, the club is isolating its entire coaching and supervisory staff.
