This archive report was first published on 15 May 2020.
As the world slowly returns to normalcy, football leagues and clubs are considering a return to the pitch. Germany's Bundesliga will be the first major league to restart on Friday, May 15, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The early kick-off match, pitting Augsburg against Wolfsburg at the WWK Arena, will be aired by NTV. The last time the two sides met was almost a year ago, with Wolfsburg hammering Augsburg 8-1.
"We are extremely happy about the return of the Bundesliga and the first platform to air it since the league was cancelled. We hope our viewers will enjoy the games that we will bring in their sitting rooms," NTV's Head of Broadcasting Monicah Ndung'u said.
A study has suggested that the return of the Bundesliga and football elsewhere in the world might not be such a big risk in terms of spreading coronavirus. The rules in football across all leagues to lower risks of players contracting the virus include having five subs as opposed to initial three subs, players changing to fresh kits at half time, no group celebrations after a goal is scored, and matches being played behind closed doors.
Despite being a contact sport, the Telegraph cites a study that suggests players are only within infectious distance of each other for an average of 88 seconds per match.
