German football waits for Chancellor Merkel raising her thumbs up

BERLIN -- Germany's professional football clubs are ready to return to action as soon as receiving the approval from politics and health authorities.

The 36 clubs of the first and second-tier approved an emergency plan containing games behind closed doors to finish the 2019-20 season orderly at a virtual meeting.

The league association CEO Christian Seifert said the final decision has to come from politics and health authorities. The association presented a strict hygiene plan to its members, outlining the needed measures.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the 16 federal state prime ministers are expected to debate about possible so-called ghost games finally next Thursday.

The German league could return to action on May 9 or one or two weeks later. "No matter what decision will be made, we are ready either to start on May 9th or later," Seifert commented.

Experts doubt that a re-start on May 9 can be achieved.

Reports spoke of the match-days 33, and 34 might be the starting ones as they contain unproblematic fixtures. The season was interrupted after match-day 25 on March 11 due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

To avoid difficulties, the 41-page procedure plan suggests playing match 26 at a later date as it contains the delicate derby of the local rivals Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04.

The Bavarian prime minister Markus Soeder said football would be under close observation, and every match-day is under probation.

Police and security forces had expressed concern about fan groups gathering outside the arena to support their teams.

"We will do everything to avoid any fan gathering," Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge promised. Security strategies have been set up.

Seifert said detail still needs to be fixed in collaboration with politics.

The head of the league association announced a deal with TV presenters had been achieved, and clubs can expect the pay-out of the last tranche of the TV money for this season at the beginning of May.

This will secure the liquidity of all clubs until June 30.

Seifert said football might have to stop its action again when infection rates worsen again.

The emergency plans contain strict rules for players and staff in the arena and outside. For weekly testing, around 25,000 tests are needed worth up to 2,5 million euros.

Football has come under attack after several experts complained about the sport's special treatment. Some assumed the used tests would harm the number need by the public health service.

"We have proved that's not the case. Football is only going to use a vanishing small quantity," Seifert said, mentioning a figure of only 0.4 percent of the entire testing capacities.

Bayern Munich striker Thomas Mueller said he would welcome a re-start based on games without fans. "After all, we don't play football just for fun, but it is our profession."

The forward said extreme health precautions might be compulsory, but all footballers involved are ready to follow the rules.

Depending on the re-start date, two rounds of matches per week might be necessary to finish the season and run the 2020 German Cup final. The cup semi-finals still need to be played.

Seifert said the first half of the 2021/2022 season would take place without spectators as well. National League action and internationals won't take place at the same time he added.