BUNDESLIGA stars may have to wear masks during matches with games to be stopped if they slip off after the coronavirus lockdown.
Spiegel Sports revealed that leaked documents in Germany from the Ministry of Labour have disclosed plans to equip both players and officials with “sport-appropriate mouth-nose protection.”
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Bundesliga players may have to wear masks when the German league returns next month
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was famous for donning a mask in celebration at Borussia Dortmund
The report claims that footballers would be ordered not to touch the masks with their hands during a match and will guard against them slipping off during “sprints, headers and duels.”
According to the documents, the idea was to propose that each match be halted “every 15 minutes at the latest” to replace the masks due to “increased breathing volume.”
Players will then be tasked with remaining 1.5 metres away from each other during these “short game breaks.”
Referees will also have the power to take action against any unnecessary contact such as hugging after scoring goals or wrangling around the ball.
The German Ministry of Labor have only drawn up the list of requirements as a first draft ahead of the Bundesliga’s scheduled return on May 9.
Two top two leagues in Germany could now return – behind closed doors – in just over a fortnight, according to plans set out by Bundesliga CEO Christian Seifert.
He said: “The Bundesliga is ready to resume, no matter whether on May 9 or a later date.
“But it’s not up to us to find a date. The political decision makers decide. We have not defined an exact date today.
“The fact that we are even able to think about resuming games underlines the performance of the German authorities.
“It would be presumptuous for the DFL to name an exact date for the restart.”
But a return in early May is looking unlikely after government talks on the resumption of football were pushed back to at least April 30.
And with Germany extending its ban on large public events until August 31, even if football returns to stadiums it will definitely be without fans for the remainder of the 2019-2020 season.
Even without supporters, 322 people would be needed to be in a stadium in order to stage just ONE match behind closed doors.
Meanwhile, Premier League chiefs have promised they will only be able to agree a restart when they get the green light from the Government.
Sunsport revealed that requirements to put health and safety first suggests Prem bosses may opt for essentially a cut and paste job to compile the rules and regulations over here.
Bundesliga start still unclear as clubs wait for government decision to resume play on May 9th
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
