Bundesliga Outline Plans To Restart On May 9

The top flight in Germany has been suspended since last month because of the Coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 151,000 people in the country and caused over 5,000 deaths.

Any plans to restart football will however have to be approved by the German government, who have banned large public gatherings in the country until the end of August.

This means the Bundesliga will be the first European league to resume after the enforced break, with confirmation coming from DFL Chief Executive Christian Seifert at a virtual meeting between the clubs on Thursday.

Seifert said: "The Bundesliga is ready to resume, whether on May 9 or a later date. But it's not up to us to find a date, the political decision-makers decide.

"We have not defined an exact date today. The fact that we are even able to think about resuming games underlines the performance of the German authorities. It would be presumptuous for the DFL to name an exact date for the restart.

"If the signal comes in the next week that it can be May 9, then it will be May 9. It's not up to us whether we can play at all. It is only up to us to create the framework conditions.

"The season should be finished by June 30. If we need to play in July too, we will. We are currently not thinking about next season. First of all, it is the matter of ending the current season."

There are still nine matchdays to fulfill in the Bundesliga, with Bayern Munich top of the table, four points clear of second placed Borussia Dortmund.

"When we start playing again, gatherings outside the stadium must be avoided," Seifert added.

"Otherwise the fans will need to accept the fact that the matches will not take place. If this happens during the match, it will be cancelled.

"The situation might even require us to talk about games without fans next year. Therefore, the clubs should plan without income from spectators for the time being."