Coronvavirus pandemic

Hopes of restart boosted as Cologne are cleared

Cologne captain Jonas Hector and coach Markus Gisdol keeping their distance as they head to the training ground yesterday. PHOTO: REUTERS
Cologne captain Jonas Hector and coach Markus Gisdol keeping their distance as they head to the training ground yesterday. PHOTO: REUTERS

BERLIN • The Bundesliga's hopes of a restart this month were lifted yesterday, when tests conducted on the Cologne squad revealed no further cases of the coronavirus.

The German top flight's plans to resume after over two months of hiatus - the competition was halted on March 13 as a result of the pandemic - hit a road bump last Friday when it emerged that three Cologne personnel, two players and a club physiotherapist, had tested positive for Covid-19.

But while the trio remain in quarantine, a second round of tests performed on the other team members and club officials over the weekend were found to be negative, the club revealed yesterday.

The German Football League plans to resume from May 16 behind closed doors, provided it gets permission from Chancellor Angela Merkel and a decision is expected tomorrow.

German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has thrown his support behind the recommencement of the Bundesliga, which remains primed to be not only the first major European football competition to return to play, but also the first of the "Big Five" which includes Serie A, La Liga and the Premier League. The French Ligue 1 ended prematurely last week, with Paris Saint-Germain earning a third straight title.

Bundesliga players have already returned to training - earlier than any other European league - and mass testing of players and staff, which is seen as a necessary safety measure, has been under way since last week.

Leaders and defending champions Bayern Munich yesterday confirmed all their tests had turned up negative and Mr Seehofer believes a restart is feasible as long as players get tested every few days and a quarantine plan is in place.

Footballers will be allowed to take part in team training and compete in games only after recording two negatives per week, and as an additional safeguard, that has been extended to their family members.

Bundesliga teams are desperate for the season to be completed by June 30 in order to claim an instalment of TV money worth €300 million (S$464.2 million).

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, XINHUA

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 05, 2020, with the headline Hopes of restart boosted as Cologne are cleared. Subscribe