BUNDESLIGA stars must arrive at grounds in different buses and are banned from having sex if they or their partner show coronavirus symptoms when football resumes.
German top flight teams hope to continue their season on May 9 with second-place Borussia Dortmund facing RB Leipzig, who sit third, on that date.
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Teams will be asked to use multiple team buses and players could be banned from sex as part of Bundesliga guidelines to get the season back underwayCredit: Getty Images – Getty
And as reported by the Mail on Sunday, the German FA and DFL are plotting how to make the restart as soon and as safe as possible.
Those plans – detailed in a document – outline how teams should train, prepare for matches and conduct themselves before and after matches to try and reduce the risk of the virus spreading.
That includes blocking any players kissing or having sex with their partner if either are displaying any signs of having Covid-19.
There are also detailed action plans for how teams should go about a matchday.
Home players are advised to arrive in their own cars while away sides are encouraged to travel in various team buses – or failing that, wearing face masks.
Those buses will be disinfected upon arrival at the ground and then players will be checked as they make their way in.
Once inside the ground, starting XI players and substitutes are encouraged to eat apart, warm up separately, get ready in different changing rooms and shower individually with team talks kept to a bare minimum.
The report adds that venues will be limited to a maximum of 300 people at any time including four police officers, ten journalists, four ball kids, eight groundsman and 50 security staff – meaning fans will not be allowed in.
SunSport reported that matches would need a minimum of 322 people present, though, for a behind-closed-doors fixture including TV crew.
For the match itself, the two sets of teams won’t come out of the tunnel together nor will they have mascots, photos, handshakes or even stand together on the pitch.
Because of the two metre gap between people, substitutes must space out on the benches with two or three seats between them. That is likely to mean some subs must go and sit in the stands.
The Bundesliga would ideally have each team staying in a hotel – preferably having the place to themselves – with no player access to the bar or room service.
But failing that, players will be allowed to live at home and are asked to keep contact to a bare minimum and discouraged from having visitors.
They should not share toothbrushes, towels, dishes, drinks or bed sheets with anyone showing symptoms.
In terms of training grounds, the entire team will be tested ahead of the first training session back and then twice a week after that, including before matches.
Some teams, including Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, have already returned.
The stars should stagger their arrival, take food away rather than eat in kitchens and use their own drinks bottles.
It is suggested players arrive in their kit and shower at home, where they should also wash their own clothes and boots.
Finally, if someone in the team tests positive for coronavirus, it is not necessary for the whole squad to automatically go into quarantine.
That individual must isolate from family members and team-mates for 14 days from when the symptoms start and where a face mask.
The club’s doctor will be notified and that information will then be passed on to the league but anyone that tests positive should remain anonymous.
It is certainly ambitious but the league are doing everything they can to get football back underway.
And if it proves successful, it could help other leagues to follow suit.
Bayern Munich are among the teams to have already returned for first-team trainingCredit: AFP or licensors
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Bundesliga start still unclear as clubs wait for government decision to resume play on May 9th
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
