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Coronavirus Outbreak: German health minister open to Bundesliga restart behind closed doors

Germany’s health minister is open to a resumption of Bundesliga football matches on condition that they are played behind closed doors, he said on Wednesday ahead of a crunch decision by officials on Thursday.

|Apr 22, 2020, 21:32:41 IST

Players run for the ball in an empty stadium during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and 1.FC Cologne in Moenchengladbach, Germany, Wednesday, March 11, 2020. It is the first Bundesliga match played behind closed doors without spectators due to the coronavirus outbreak. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) — Moenchengladbach and Cologne players in empty stadium in Bundesliga. AP

Jens Spahn, recognising that such ‘phantom games’ are important for millions of football fans, said the decisive factor in making the judgment call on returning to action was whether the players’ health could be secured.“If this can be achieved with a minimised, or as far as possible excluded risk of infection, then it can certainly be done”, Spahn said.The Bundesliga has been suspended since mid-March due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus, which has infected more than 145,000 people and killed over 4,800 in Germany.Regional leaders in Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia said on Monday that any league resumption would be without fans and that there would be no action before 9 May.Their statements were welcomed by both clubs and the German Football League (DFL) which will meet on Thursday to decide how long to extend the ban past the current 30 April date.Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak

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