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May 9. Just 16 days from the time of this writing. It’s legitimately surreal to even consider that we could, potentially, maybe be essentially two weeks away from the return of professional sports. Similar to making a million dollars or getting laid, the first one is always the hardest one — once one major sports league resumes, it’s only a matter of time until the rest follow suit.
According to reports out of Germany, the Bundesliga — the top division in German soccer — is ready to resume behind-closed-doors on Saturday, May 9 if the government approves of their plan. The league, which features international powerhouses such as Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, suspended play in mid-March as a result of the global pandemic.
Its resumption, behind closed doors, remains dependent on government and all federal states’ approval, and Bundesliga chief executive Christian Seifert warned providing an exact date “would be presumptuous and is not in our hands”.
“If we should start on May 9, we are ready. If it is later we will be ready again. We can only offer the framework conditions,” Bundesliga chief executive Christian Seifert recently said.
The Bundesliga is collaborating with five different laboratories to ensure adequate testing for coronavirus. Players will be tested at least once a week, which would require around 20,000 tests for this season. [via Sky Sports]
If you want to be an idiot and look at this from a micro point of view — “Wahhh it’s soccer, who cares? Especially soccer in Germany, not even in America!” — be my guest. The takeaway here should be macro: developed countries around the world are in the process of legitimately figuring out ways to resume professional sports. That bodes well for fans on this side of the pond.
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Eric is a New York City-based and New Jersey-born writer who still isn’t quite sure how he’s allowed to have this much fun for a living and will tell anyone who listens that Gotham City is canonically in New Jersey. Follow him on Twitter @eric_ital for movie and soccer takes or contact him eric@brobible.com