The Bundesliga is one step closer to a return to action in May after a significant sign of approval from a German government minister.
Horst Seehofer, the Minister of the Interior, Building and Community, has backed the Bundesliga’s plans to resume football safely amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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Germany has done better than many countries in keeping the virus at bay, and it could be that that means games going on behind closed doors with strict hygiene measures in place is realistic.
“I find the DFL schedule plausible and support a restart in May,” said the 70-year-old.
However, he added: “I don’t want to be a spoil-game for football, but what applies to everyone also applies to football professionals. So there are risks for the game plan and the table. That requires a high level of discipline in coronary care. But I am in favour of it that we dare to try to make the game happen again.
“But it is also clear to me that there can be no privileges for the Bundesliga. It cannot be that professional players are tested more often than doctors, nurses or police officers who are in daily contact with people.
“And there shouldn’t be any bottlenecks in public health, for example in the tests or in the laboratories, because of a higher test volume in sports. That is the basic requirement for me.”
This seems like a positive step in the right direction and fans of the Premier League will hope this means we can see a return for English football this summer as well.
The top flight and the football league have been postponed since March, but UK lockdown restrictions are expected to ease from May 7 onwards, with recent reports suggesting Premier League games could be back by June 12.