Bundesliga restart: Players warned coronavirus could potentially end their careers

After much contemplation and formulating player safety protocols, the Bundesliga is set to return on May 16. The German Football League (DFL) has reportedly outlined strict guidelines to the clubs in regards to training and matchday routines to ensure the safety of Bundesliga players amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, professor Wilhelm Bloch, from the German Sports University in Cologne, has warned the players that a Bundesliga restart amid the pandemic could put players at a risk of being affected which could potentially end their careers. 

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Coronavirus in Germany: German professor warns players ahead of Bundesliga restart

Professor Wilhelm Bloch claims that Bundesliga players stand a risk of causing irreversible damage to their body by playing during the crisis. "There is a risk that top athletes may lose their level of performance and never regain it,' William Bloch told German publication AFP. "Generally, the physical makeup, immune system and cardiovascular system of elite athletes mean that the risk to them is low. However, we do not know at this time whether even minor infections or even mild symptoms, do not cause damage, such as minor scarring of the lungs after an inflammation."

Bloch says a potential infection may take a very long time for the body to complete heal itself and as a worst-case scenario may cause irreversible damage. This could significantly alter the career of football players who generally have a short lifespan at their peak. With research for vaccines against coronavirus still ongoing, Bloch claims the world will soon know if the affected do recover their full potential.

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Some of the rules laid down by the DFL include players avoiding pre-match handshakes and team goal celebrations and frequent testing of players and staff members. Bundesliga fixtures will also be played behind closed doors and five substitutions will be allowed during the matches for the remainder of the 2019-20 season. Despite the several measures adopted by the league, the hierarchy has insisted that no plan is '100% safe' and the aim behind the Bundesliga restart is to create a playing environment with the lowest medical risk possible.

"Players are not in total quarantine, they are with their families, even if they have been instructed to limit contact," Bloch added. "And there are also risks during matches." Despite the large scale testing measures, Bloch claims there still remains a large margin for error.

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Bundesliga restart, Bundesliga standings and schedule

With a Bundesliga restart officially scheduled for May 16, a total of six Bundesliga fixtures have been scheduled for Saturday. One of the biggest games scheduled is the Revierderby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 at the Signal Iduna Park at 7:00 pm IST. Wolfsburg, Leipzig, Frankfurt and Monchengladbach will all be in action on May 16. Bundesliga league leaders Bayern Munich will play their first game since the lockdown on Sunday, May 17, against Union Berlin.

Bundesliga standings

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