I don't think it is, they've controlled the virus on a country-wide level with a pop of 80m so ensuring the safety of a few thousand footballing staff will be a doddle.

How the fuck can you be surprised the germans do shit fast. Ain't you never heard of the blitzkrieg lad, it's in their blood.

Delete the Mickey Mouse cup.

We all know it was out there just so that Arsenal could win something. Now, without Arsene, they can't even win that,i see no point in holding that competition any longer.

Personally would vote for a restart no matter the timeframe. In england the weather is shitty all year so doesn't really make a difference they're playing in april or july.

Although can't really see a lot of people upset at the thought of Liverpool not winning it for ...31 yeais, is it ?

It's probably something to do with the fact their general population isn't as full of pigshit stupid gammon.

There's very little detail so far how they're going through with this, what happens when a player tests positive before a match or immediately after?

This post was edited by Pozer on May 6 2020 08:58am

Its looking like they gonna just keep the season from last stop point, champion league has already dated

Bundesliga is returning

we're far from having it under control though. i think it's a rather risky endeavour to restart the league this early to be honest.
really torn on this though. on the one hand i miss football like crazy. it's almost as bad as not being able to play myself. but on the other hand, it seems like a rather unreasonable thing to prioritise to get running again.

then again, you could argue that considering how german clubs are structured and financed, it's vital for them to get back to generating revenue as early as possible. no billionaire backers to keep them afloat no matter what. also, if other football fans are only half as excited as i am about the return to SOME level of 'normalcy' (even though empty stadiums will be particularly strange in the football league that has by far the highest average attendance), one might say that it serves more than just the financial interests of the clubs and the league.

anyway, looking forward to next weekend, hoping that everything will work out ok...

What's the risk? They're all in their 20s/30s and in peak physical conditions, so the personal risk of coronavirus is incredibly low.

There could potentially be a risk to family members though, and that will need to be mitigated by not visiting older relatives.

- there are serious concerns about fan groups congregating near stadiums (despite repeated pleas from health experts and club managers to stay away) to support their teams, leading to new infection hotspots.

- also, there's much more to a football match than just the 22 players 'in peak physical condition' on the pitch: people operating and preparing the stadium, drivers, caterers, tv crews, medical personnel... they all run an additional (and some might argue unnecessary) risk, and i would be genuinely surprised if they all were tested as regularly as those elite athletes, and could afford to just stay away from old people / family members for weeks.

- it could send the wrong signal and amplify the message of people who didn't take the virus seriously anyway, and opposed lockdown measures. they might argue that a restart of the bundesliga proves the limitations put on 'regular people' are unjustified and unreasonable.

- there's also the 'risk' for it to simply fail outright. there are strict quarantine measures (mandatory, two weeks) in place for teams that have positive tests. dynamo dresden, a club in 2. bundesliga, is currently affected by that, so their first two matches will be postponed. my guess is that if you have 2 or maybe 3 clubs in a league affected by that, it's basically impossible to guarantee a reasonably level playing field and fair schedule, and the whole thing could be canceled.


and those are just the first things that came to mind. again, i personally am excited, i see the positive sides of it, judging by my family's and friends' reactions probably more so than the average person. but i'm also well aware that a significant percentage of people aren't particularly reasonable, smart, or cautious - and that is, let's face it, even more true for football fans.

This post was edited by fender on May 10 2020 04:54am

You can deploy police at the grounds to keep fans away if they do congregate.

Most people are still finding a way to do their jobs. Many have to go into work because they can't do it from home, and that inevitably puts them in more risk than if they stayed at home. Most people have to make sacrifices.

Outbreaks among players is a concern for restarting the season, that's the main point IMO. Many games would have to be delayed.