19 18 19 German Football Returns Under Scrutiny

Established 1961 Sport SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2020 World Rugby postpones July Sugar Ray Leonard, American boxer Gayle admits ‘damaging’ 18Test matches over coronavirus 19 considered peerless in a time of greats 19 Sarwan virus comments German football returns under scrutiny GELSENKIRCHEN: Schalke’s German goalkeeper Alexander Nuebel attends a training session of German first division Bundesliga football club FC Schalke 04 in Gelsenkirchen. —AFP BERLIN: Football in Germany returns to the pitch as ital against Union Berlin. It means he must miss his side’s clash with Bayern. the eyes of the nation are upon them. “Down to the the Bundesliga becomes the first of Europe’s top To minimise the risk of infection, players and staff “All our sympathy goes to the Fischer family in this last player, everyone knows to abide by the rules,” leagues to swing back into action since the coron- are being tested regularly and each club has been in difficult time,” said Union president Dirk Zingler. Ex- said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. avirus lockdown. a week-long quarantine ahead of the matches. Teams Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou, 34, has been sus- With leagues still suspended in England, Italy and The German Football League (DFL) convinced will arrive at stadiums in several buses in order to pended by Hertha Berlin for shaking hands with Spain, the Bundesliga will have the footballing world’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and the country’s regional meet social distancing requirements inside the vehi- team-mates. attention to itself. Bundesliga CEO Christian Seifert leaders to allow play to resume by agreeing to submit cles. Once on the pitch, players have been warned not Bavaria’s state leader Markus Soeder warned that has warned the matches will “look and feel different”. to an extraordinary set of guidelines to prevent in- to hug to celebrate goals. those who fail to follow the Teams only started squad training sessions last fection. Substitutes and coaches on regulations should expect con- week having previously worked in small groups. “I’m The stadiums will be empty and silent except for the bench must wear protective sequences. “If the health ex- calling it ‘flying blind’,” Hertha Berlin coach Bruno the players’ shouts and the referees’ whistles — Ger- masks. Some have already Stadiums perts have given you these Labbadia said. “With so few days of preparation, it’s many has suffered far fewer deaths from coronavirus fallen foul of the unprecedented suggestions, if the league itself impossible to say where we stand.” than other large European countries, but it is still too rules. Augsburg’s new coach will has worked out concepts at Bayern Munich forward Thomas Mueller said his dangerous for crowds to return. Heiko Herrlich has ruled himself great expense, then you have teammates were raring to go. “When I see the emo- Borussia Dortmund will take on local rivals Schalke out of Saturday’s match at be empty to abide by these rules,” tions we have developed over the last few days, even 04 in the Ruhr Derby. That fixture would normally home to Wolfsburg after leav- Soeder said Friday. in a training game, it shows our greed for regular have attracted an 82,000 crowd to Dortmund’s Signal ing the team hotel to buy tooth- “And if you don’t follow competition,” Mueller wrote on LinkedIn. Iduna Park but supporters will be locked out. paste. “I made a mistake,” Herrlich said. “I did not live them, in case there is any doubt, there will be ‘a red The clubs want to finish the nine remaining rounds On Sunday, Bayern Munich, who were four points up to my function as a role model for my team and card’.” The coronavirus has claimed over 7,800 lives of matches by June 30 in order to claim around 300 clear at the top of the table when the season was sus- the public.” While Herrlich was criticised, there was in Germany. A poll by broadcaster ARD showed 56 million euros ($324 million) in television money. Sev- pended in March, will resume their quest for an eighth sympathy for Union Berlin coach Urs Fischer after he percent of the German public are opposed to foot- eral clubs are reported to be suffering deep financial successive Bundesliga title when they play in the cap- broke quarantine following a family bereavement. ball’s return and the players have been warned that problems. — AFP have to make our own decisions and make sensible London Olympics. “We are trying to give the athletes would be greater use of Sport could rebel compromises,” Coe, 63, told Indian television channel some clarity about the calendar and speculation from technology to make WION. “There may be a moment when a sport de- scientists and medical experts does not help. events “more exciting” cides that it is ready to stage events even if it is not “I hope that the pandemic will be contained so that for television viewers and against pandemic always with the approval of those authorities. “We we don’t have to cancel the Games.” Athletics’ Dia- to adapt to the coron- will be respectful, but we have to make decisions in mond League may only start in August and finish in avirus threat. rules: Athletics chief the best interest of our sport and our athletes,” the October. Coe said competitions will look very differ- “If you think of relay, British former track legend insisted. ent with athletes battling each other in empty stadi- the baton exchange could Athletics like other key sports has seen its calendar ums. “Meeting directors will have to take their own be another source of in- NEW DELHI: World athletics chief Sebastian Coe and finances badly hit by the postponement of this decisions about how to get athletes to competition in fection, but we are find- has warned that sports leaders may rebel against year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo. a safe and secure manner that doesn’t risk infection,” ing ways to organise it,” pandemic restrictions as they struggle to get major The world athletics championships planned for he said. “Each event will have to decide on a format the World Athletics chief events back on track. Coe expressed the frustrations 2021 have had to be pushed back by a year to allow for competition with these safety considerations two said. “As a runner I can Sebastian Coe felt by many sports chiefs when he said it was crucial for a provisional plan to stage the Tokyo Games next months in advance. feel the emotions of the to get top events started again even as the coron- year instead. Coe said no one could give a cast-iron “Everybody is waiting to return to competition athletes if there is only avirus takes a mounting toll around the world. assurance that the Olympics will be held. and organisers will have to be as creative and ingen- training and no competition. Therefore we want to “We have to be guided by what governments, the “Speculating about something that is over a year ious as possible in the current circumstances.” In a provide them with an opportunity to compete and WHO and local authorities are telling us, but we also away is unhelpful,” said the former chief of the 2012 separate interview with Indian media, Coe said there perform.” — AFP.

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