The return of Germany’s top soccer league may provide a blueprint for U.S. leagues
A little more than two months after the Bundesliga suspended play because of the coronavirus, the top soccer league in Germany will play games Saturday.
While UFC fights have been held in empty arenas and some soccer leagues (such as Belarus) have continued, the Bundesliga’s return is notable.
It’s one of the world’s biggest and best-known soccer leagues and its games will be played with a set of rules that could be a blueprint to help sports in other nations, including the United States, begin play again.
“Everybody will watch the Bundesliga to see how the players are on the field and outside the field,” Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director Fred Bobic told ESPN. “Hopefully they will do it positively. A lot of our colleagues can participate in that — if everything works, the handbook, the plan, everything, we can give that to other federations and other sports.”
Here is what it will take for games to be played.
Matches will be played in nearly empty stadiums, Deutsche Welle reported, and if necessary may take place at neutral venues.
The Daily Mail said an estimated 25,000 coronavirus tests (at a cost of roughly $110 each) will be needed to check each player on “at least” a weekly basis.
“The automatic quarantine of the whole squad in the event of one positive test may not be necessary,” the Daily Mail reported, “only those who had face-to-face contact with the infected person for at least 15 minutes or other direct contact.”
The ESPN story says no more than 322 people will be allowed in and around the stadiums for Bundesliga matches. That number covers “players, coaches, referees, camera crews, anti-doping officials, stewards, security, ground staff and ball boys. They all have their temperature checked on arrival. Anyone deemed a risk will be sent home.”
The German league has broken down the numbers like this, per ESPN:
- Ninety-eight people on the field or sidelines (22 starters, 20 coaches, 18 bench players, 15 VAR technicians, five officials, four members of security, four medical members, four ball boys, three photographers and three “hygiene staff”).
- In the stands will be 115 people, including security workers, team officials, stadium operations, media members, TV technicians and police and fire fighters.
- A total of 109 people will be allowed outside the stadium (50 security members, 37 VAR/TV technicians, 14 TV Crew and eight ground staff).
The Daily Mail said teams won’t have pregame handshakes or photographs, and there will be no team mascots. Sideline sinks are “required for hygiene reasons.” Medical workers will wear protective masks. Postgame news conferences will be held virtually.
ESPN said hand sanitizing stations will be in each locker room and soccer balls will be sanitized before and during games. Players will arrive at the stadium in multiple vehicles with staggered arrivals times starting 90 minutes before the game begins.
Seven hours before kickoff, ESPN reported, “eight ground keepers arrive at the stadium to take care of the pitch. Two hours later, the 90 people needed for VAR, satellite feeds and television production arrive. During these early hours, 32 security guards make sure that no one enters the area without permission.”
How will all of this look when put into practice? Fans will find out Saturday.
