Insolvent football clubs: only mini-penalties - because the Bundesliga is counting on bankruptcies?

Due to the Corona crisis, the game will be suspended in the Bundesliga until May. DFL boss Christian Seifert explains the planned measures - and they are tough. All developments in the news ticker.

• Corona crisis in Europe: Bundesliga, Premier League, Serie A and Champions League must stop playing.
• Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Bundesliga is initially paused until April 30 .
• All developments on the Bundesliga in the Corona crisis here in the news ticker .

Update of March 31, 9:20 p.m .: FC Bayern as an industry giant is of course significantly less at risk of corona effects than other Bundesliga clubs.

And yet the German record champions are also turbulent. So goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and the FCB board should by no means agree on the contract extension *, Jerome Boateng allegedly also built an accident on the highway *.

Update from March 31, 7.30 p.m .: As the German Football League (DFL) announced this Tuesday, it will significantly relax the conditions for the licensing procedure due to the Corona crisis .

Bundesliga in the corona crisis: only three points deduction in the event of bankruptcy

Specifically, the deduction of nine points is suspended as a sanction for opening insolvency proceedings. "In the event of bankruptcy in the coming season, a sanction would be the amount of a deduction of only three points," says a message. Because the Bundesliga already expects individual clubs to be insolvent?

Before the 2020/21 season, the 36 professional clubs also do not have to provide any evidence of liquidity, a review by the DFL will only take place in September, when the new season (probably) is already running.

Update of March 31, 6.55 p.m .: The corona crisis also affects the 1899 Hoffenheim Bundesliga club , whose patron Dietmar Hopp has become a beacon of hope in the fight against the corona virus. We'll explain why here. *

Bundesliga in the Corona crisis: European Cup matches at the weekend?

Update from March 31, 4:57 p.m .: Given the massive restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic , DFL boss Christian Seifert is also expecting significant changes to the game schedule for the coming season and will not rule out European Cup matches at the weekend.

For the coming season, "great flexibility and accommodation" is required among the leagues and international associations.

DFL boss: Christian Seifert.

© dpa / Arne Dedert

Everyone had to "swallow a toad or two", said Seifert on Tuesday during a video press conference after the DFL general meeting when asked whether Champions League games could be expected on Saturday evenings after the Bundesliga games . "There will only be a regular season again in 2021/22," predicted the 50-year-old.

Update of March 31, 3:51 p.m .: In the corona crisis , soccer stars have an even greater role model function . A Bundesliga kicker apparently doesn't know how to deal with it - and was caught at a corona party.

Update from March 31, 2:30 p.m .: "We in the Bundesliga look forward to being able to bring people back a little bit of normalcy in due course." With these words, DFL boss Christian Seifert concluded his speech at the PK der Deutschen Fußball -League.

Anyone hoping for an early end to the Corona break in the Bundesliga was disappointed. The DFL and the professional clubs officially decided that the league would initially continue to pause until April 30 . The general meeting of the German Football League approved a proposal from the DFL Presidium on Tuesday.

Decision of the DFL: Bundesliga pauses until at least April 30.

ℹ https://t.co/UUq23RGDqW

However, it is completely open whether the game will continue in May. Due to the pandemic, there are numerous restrictions in public life in Germany that could persist beyond April.

If anything, the remaining 163 games in the top two divisions will probably be played as ghost games . The concept for the restart must be supported by politics and the health authorities.

Bundesliga: officially! Game operations are suspended until May - then ghost games?

"First of all, and this is still not a question, it is a matter of controlling the spread of the virus and, in particular, protecting risk groups," said Christian Seifert , DFL chief on Tuesday. "It will stay that way for some time." But there is "high pressure" to work on "how we can get up and continue working after this crisis".

The general meeting made four "essential decisions". In addition to the suspension of play, team training is to be stopped by April 5 . "At the same time, we are developing production concepts for all 36 locations of professional football for how games can also be played temporarily without the presence of spectators, with the least possible use of personnel," said Seifert. In addition, a medical task force was set up and a "further package of measures" was decided to relieve the clubs during the licensing process.

As the kicker reports, from May it is planned to end the season with ghost games .

Bundesliga with spectators? Rummenigge is toying with UEFA plans

Update from March 30th, 9.09 p.m .: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge rules out a complete cancellation of the season and a football Bundesliga with only 14 or 16 clubs, despite the current existential crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic .

In the Bundesliga, the game is suspended due to the Corona crisis. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is now proposing a spectacular scenario to save the season.

© AFP / CHRISTOF STACHE

For Bayern Munich's CEO, it would even be an option if the season didn't end until September and the new season didn't start until next winter. "If this were not possible from a health and political perspective, this scenario would have to be dealt with," said Rummenigge in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung .

Bundesliga with spectators? Rummenigge brings completely new options into play

"We should definitely finish this season , for reasons of sporting fairness, but of course also to keep the economic damage as low as possible," said the Bayern CEO before the general meeting of the DFL in Frankfurt on Tuesday (10.30 a.m.) .

The head of Bayern admitted that the acute crisis will not leave the industry leader from Munich without a trace. " Bayern would also face economic difficulties if we don't play football for too long," said Rummenigge.

Bayern might be "a bit better off than other Bundesliga clubs because of our very good equity situation". "But we too are currently waiting in the transfer market to keep the powder dry and to see how the situation develops," said Rummenigge. "Today we all don't know how long the corona spook will be with us."

Bundesliga with spectators? Lindner: "This will be the last thing we ..."

Update from March 30, 7 p.m .: Tomorrow, Tuesday, the bosses of the 36 professional clubs and the heads of the DFL will come together for the next virtual Corona summit in the Bundesliga (10:30 a.m.).

According to agency information, the trend is to restart game operations in May - in all likelihood without spectators. But: Even if the number of new corona infections drops, even this scenario is even possible.

There is still a little leeway. It is expected that the officials will initially extend the mandatory break until April 30. A further postponement would still be possible afterwards with a view to the remaining nine Bundesliga games.

Update from March 30, 2 p.m .: While the Bundesliga is not playing , there are discussions in the background about the nearer and longer-term future of the players.

World champion Thomas Müller is said to be in negotiations with FC Bayern * to extend his contract, while two Premier League clubs from London are said to be interested in Munich youngster Chris Richards *.

Corona crisis in the Bundesliga: FDP boss Lindner does not promise full stadiums

© Instagram / Christian Lindner

Update of March 30, 11 a.m .: How and when will the Bundesliga continue in the Corona crisis ? FDP boss Christian Lindner has given football fans no hope of returning to matches in front of full stadiums soon.

“We are sociable beings who need contact. Bundesliga with audience and fans will be the last thing we open again, “said the opposition politician of the picture .

Lindner is friends with BVB boss Hans-Joachim Watzke and sits on Borussia Dortmund's board of directors.

Check out this post on Instagram

What a thriller in Dortmund ... CL #bvb #bundesliga PS: And I treat it to @mariogotze ...

A post shared by Christian Lindner (@christianlindner) on Oct 6, 2018 at 8:30 p.m. PDT

Update from March 30, 10 a.m .: You can find all previous news about the Corona crisis in the Bundesliga under this ticker *.

First announcement from March 29: Professional football is currently only played in Belarus. Despite the coronavirus pandemic worldwide, which causes a lot of shaking of the head in the rest of Europe.

Bundesliga, Champions League, Premier, League, La Liga, Serie A and so on - they all have to pause because of the Corona crisis * .

Bundesliga: FC Bayern boss Rummenigge and BVB boss Watzke want to end the season

FC Bayern Munich was in great shape and would have had the chance to expand its title collection *. But nothing will come of it for the time being.

But after the boss of the board, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and BVB boss Hans-Joachim Watzke, had vigorously pushed for it, the European Football Association (Uefa) left no doubt that it was imperative to end the season.

"We could start in mid-May, June or even late June," said Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica . After that, the season was "very likely lost".

When will the Bundesliga continue because of Corona? Spectacular proposal from Uefa

The head of the European Football Union also made it clear that talks with the leagues about an adjustment of the calendar would take place - and called a spectacular proposal.

For example, the current season could be ended "at the beginning of the next", which would start the next season "a little later". However, there is still no final decision.

Apart from Belarus, the ball is currently at a standstill in all of Europe's professional leagues . In the Bundesliga , the game will be suspended until April 30 at the suggestion of the German Football League (DFL) . The 36 clubs of the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga still have to agree on Tuesday. However, this is a matter of form.

Corona crisis: The Bundesliga faces high losses

If the season is stopped altogether, the Bundesliga could face losses of an estimated 750 million euros.

Uli Hoeneß, honorary president of FC Bayern , last said in an interview with the kicker : If there were no games by Christmas, then "the livelihood of the entire league would be threatened". However, "all are the predictions about a possible start of the games from surrender, charlatans ”.

pm / fs with SID material

* tz.de is part of the Germany-wide Ippen-Digital editors network

More FC Bayern news and rumors: will Ivan Perisic stay at Bayern? Inter Milan is probably planning a spectacular exchange.

List of rubric lists: © dpa / Arne Dedert