Bundesliga Plans for For Football Return Premature?

Football may make its return in Germany as Bundesliga executives outline rules for the resumption of the league on the 9th of May.

A statement released by the German FA has made clear laid down strategies to follow for the resumption of football despite the COVID-19 crises. 

The rules cover:

(a) How players would train before matches.

(b) How players would keep adequately protected during matches.

(c) What to do if a player contracts the virus before the end of the campaign.

Activities before every match 

Players have two options for accommodation before and after matches: They could choose to stay in the team’s hotels or at home. However, intimacy with partners with symptoms is prohibited.

Each stadium will contain only 300 people at every match venue, including a stipulated number of policemen, groundsmen, journalists, and security staff.

Guidelines On Training 

According to laid down procedures, the whole team is to be tested before their first training session every week, then two times a week until the final day of the season.

Players are urged to vary their arrival for training. 

Physical contact in training should be minimized. If there is an adequate need for a meeting social distancing rules should be observed to the full.

How players get ready for matches

Teams are advised to enter the stadium on various buses to foster social distancing, with the addition of face mask to their dress code.

The body temperature of players would be taken at the entrance of the stadium, with ear thermometers. Each changing room is to be sanitized, and doors left open.

The starting line-up and substitutions of various teams are to kit up in different facilities and do warm-up exercises separately.

Diets are to be prepared in advance by the team chef, and players are to make use of personal drinking cans.

Players on both sides would not be in the tunnel simultaneously and handshakes will not be taken.

Substitutes are to be two or three sits apart from each other. If there is not enough space on the bench, Substitutes can stay on the stands if need be.

Post-match interviews are to be kept at the barest minimum.

What happens if a player test positive before the end of the season     

If a player tests positive, the whole team is not automatically quarantined. However, the infected player must self-isolate himself from family members for a period of 14 days.

The club doctor will be notified and the news will be sent to League management.

The 14 days of isolation is to begin from the moment of symptom notification.

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