German economy forecast to lag eurozone growth until 2026
The German economy is expected to significantly underperform the eurozone average until at least 2026, according to the European Commission's Autumn Forecast released on Friday.
Bundesliga is all set to return on May 16 and will become the first major European football competition to resume after getting suspended due to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The German Football League (DFL) announced the date on Thursday after Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday had allowed Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 to resume the 2019-20 season.
According to the DFL, there will be a number of matches on the first day with the most important being the Revierderby between Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04. Bayern Munich would be playing away against Union Berlin. The Klassier between Dortmund and Bayern is likely to be played on May 26 or May 27, reported ESPN.
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The DFL, which is desperate to finish the season by June 30, said that the final round of matches could be played on June 27 and 28.
The DFL CEO Christian Seifert had earlier assured that the matches would follow strict health protocols that ban any spectator from entering the ground. He had said that the games without the spectator was not an ideal solution but admitted it was the only option to go for.
Thanking the German government for allowing the resumption of football, Seifert had said, “Today’s decision is good news for Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2. It is associated with a great responsibility for the clubs and their employees to implement the medical and organisational requirements in a disciplined manner.”
“Matches without stadium spectators are not an ideal solution for anyone. However, during this crisis, which threatens the existence of some clubs, it is the only option to preserve the leagues in their present form. Today I’d like to thank the decision-makers at the state and federal level for placing their confidence in us,” he added.
Clubs in Germany had already resumed training while more than 1700 players in the top two divisions were tested for COVID-19. The DFL informed on Monday that 10 positive cases had emerged and the players would continue to be tested till the league gets underway.
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