German Bundesliga aims to return in three weeks as Hearts' Daniel Stendel takes note

Tynecastle coach intrigued by bold plan to finish season
Hearts manager Daniel Stendel is waiting to see whether German football restarts.Hearts manager Daniel Stendel is waiting to see whether German football restarts.
Hearts manager Daniel Stendel is waiting to see whether German football restarts.

European football’s eyes are fixed on Germany, where the Bundesliga could resume within the next three weeks. Hearts manager Daniel Stendel detects increasing excitement at home in Hannover as leagues across the Continent wait to see if, and how, a restart is executed.

With Scottish football in shutdown until June 10 at the earliest, the Germans’ bold approach to coronavirus could see them become the first major nation to begin playing again.

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The intention of Christian Seifert, chief executive of the Deutsche Fussball Liga, is to stage the remaining nine league fixtures behind closed doors – starting mid-May and finishing by June 30.

Stendel is a keen observer but acknowledges that his homeland are a few weeks ahead of the United Kingdom in dealing with the pandemic. Germany’s ability to conduct 100,000 coronavirus tests each day is a key factor in their recovery, with some shops already open and students sitting exams.

Their football clubs need to preserve income, hence a degree of urgency about finishing the season. Around €750m of broadcasting, ticketing and sponsorship revenue could be lost if the 2019/20 campaign is not completed. Suggestions are that might bankrupt around a dozen clubs across the Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga.

"In Germany, people hope football can start in maybe three or four weeks,” Stendel told the Evening News today. “I have a feeling about this but in Germany the restrictions are being relaxed. Maybe it's too early but everybody hopes it is the right moment to do this. We will see in two weeks, maybe.

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"Perhaps Germany is two or three weeks in front of the UK with this situation. If you have some experiences from the German side, you can take it over to the UK.

“Everybody is a little bit excited about the Bundesliga starting. If that happens, I think it will be the first league in Europe to play. But at the moment the teams cannot train with duels – only in small groups. I can't really believe it will happen but maybe this will change.”

Implementing Germany’s plans in Scotland would be difficult, largely due to the lack of testing facilities for players, coaches, medical staff and media who would be involved in closed-door games.

"I think this is the third week where players are training in small groups here,” continued Stendel. “There are groups of five players but no contact. If you want to start this in the Scottish league at Hearts, you need to train maybe two weeks like this.

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"Then, when you want to do more, the Government must say we are allowed to do it. What happens if one player gets the virus? Does training stop for all the players, or only this player? These are all questions nobody can answer me at the moment.

"Here in Germany, each club must speak with the regional Government, not the Government for all of Germany. In Bremen, they said no to training. I asked last week who can decide whether we can train in small groups in Scotland and I believe the SFA have said no training until June 10.”

Hearts want the remainder of this season played if possible. With eight Premiership games remaining, they are four points adrift at the bottom of the league and facing relegation.

Last week’s vote to end the lower leagues caused uproar and the Premiership will follow suit if UEFA agree. In order for football to restart, whether this season or next, a whole range of uncertainty must be addressed first.

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"If you are testing every day and nobody has the virus, then can you start to train or not?” queried Stendel. “There is also the question of how expensive this is. Can you really do it? Would testing every day work. These are a lot of questions clubs here are asking.

"The German Government said maybe football can be played again in three weeks without supporters. They are starting to think about this right now but they are still training in small groups. That is so different to the situation in Scotland and England.

"When we are able to train in small groups, and when we have an idea about starting to play games, then you can decide what you do with testing, isolating and everything else. There are nine games left in the Bundesliga and there is a lot to think about.”

Stendel has no idea when, or if, he will be back at Riccarton. He is entitled to leave Hearts if they go down as his contract is only valid for the Premiership.

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"Nobody can say when the lockdown will stop,” he said. “When this ends, then there is the question of when you can start training. Maybe it will be in small groups, like in Germany. Then, when can you train with a full group with normal training and normal contact?

"The other issue is that some players are out of contract. Some are only on loan until the end of May. The players who are not under contract, can they play? Do they need to play?

"Most of our players have gone home to their countries so there are a lot of question marks about when everyone will be back. I can't really say what we should do yet.”

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