According to the DFL, there is a two-week break. But the rampant corona virus is likely to give German football some more turbulence. Of a possible EM cancellation, cancellations and an expansion of the league.
Frankfurt / Main (dpa) - And now? The increasing spread of the coronavirus pandemic is also of concern to German football and its millions of fans.
The German Press Agency outlines scenarios of how the football season could continue and what effects the state of emergency would have on the scoring of the current season.
SCENARIO 1: After an EM cancellation there is time until the end of June
For the European football leagues, an EM postponement would mean one thing above all: more time. Until the end of the current season (the contracts of the players end on June 30th) an attempt could then be made to push through the remaining days of the leagues. Given the current situation and the rapidity with which the virus is rampant, this looks like a last straw and raises big questions.
This is a scenario that has so far hardly been discussed publicly because UEFA is not yet making any efforts to cancel or postpone the pan-European championship in twelve countries. A video conference with all 55 members is scheduled for next Tuesday, at which the future of all national and European competitions will be discussed. It should also be explicitly about the European Championship, where there has been speculation for days about a postponement to the summer of 2021. So far there are no reliable sources for this.
Hannover 96, 1. FC Nürnberg and Real Madrid are already in quarantine after positive tests in the clubs, more such cases will follow. As a result, several games had been postponed in the Champions League before UEFA completely interrupted the competition. Even after a game break, every single case will ensure that games are canceled and rescheduled. In view of further quarantine cases, even the time window until the end of June looks tiny. A return of spectators to the stadiums is currently out of the question.
SCENARIO 2: Cancellation of the whole season after a cancellation
That would mean that the season so far and all games since August have been completely void. The current standings would have no meaning, there would be no master. For example, the German Ice Hockey League (DEL) decided this week. Instead, the same 18 representatives as in the current season would also play in the Bundesliga next season, the placement from the penultimate season (2018/19) should be decisive for a European Cup participation in 2021/22.
In view of the fact that games in the 3rd division and in the amateur sector are currently discontinued and regular end of the season seems utopian there, this could be the first option, even if there were of course losers. Arminia Bielefeld would be robbed of a possible Bundesliga promotion, internationally a complete stop with cancellation of the results could even cost Liverpool its first championship title in 30 years. It can be doubted that the DFL in Germany has 20 teams due to the unique situation.
SCENARIO 3: Evaluation of the current table after an abort
Another scenario is the early termination, in which the current table is not used, but is canceled completely. FC Bayern would be champions again, Werder Bremen would relegate and VfB Stuttgart would return to the top German division. However, this should cause significantly more displeasure in numerous clubs and could result in lawsuits against the DFL.
At the moment not even all Bundesliga teams have the same number of games, in addition there is a different game schedule and the chance that the clubs will be deprived of force majeure for the remaining canceled season. There would also be the question of how open relegation games would be handled. It seems practically impossible to draw a line here where the DFL is not attacked by arbitrary sides for arbitrariness.
Aue President Helge Leonhardt has already suggested playoffs for the battle for the championship and relegations to promotion and relegation. This also raises questions: Which table is used for this? After an early termination, can it simply be happily ended in a few playoff games, which was normally no longer feasible? The current pressure, which grows powerfully from day to day, rather indicates that the ball will no longer roll at a certain point in time and that the DFL will soon have to deal with the consequences of a complete cancellation.
Communication from the DFL Presidium