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Berlin (AFP)
The Bundesliga play-offs between Bremen and Heidenheim on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. (6.30 p.m. GMT) in the Bundesliga playoffs is maintained, despite fan gatherings on Saturday in violation of the Covid-19 anti-tank guidelines, local officials said on Monday.
“It would be disproportionate to cancel the match because of these fans (…) who behaved as if the coronavirus no longer existed”, judged the regional minister of the city-state of Bremen Ulrich Mäurer (SPD) : “Fortunately, thousands of supporters celebrated the victory at home”.
Bremen, a historic pillar of German football, won 6-1 at home and behind closed doors on Saturday against Cologne, snatching 16th place in the Bundesliga, and the right to compete in a round-trip jump-off against the third in second Heidenheim division, to try to save its place in the elite.
The minister called on all supporters to stay home on Thursday.
In early May, the city-state of Bremen was the only German region to publicly say that it had pleaded against a resumption of the Bundesliga on May 16, saying conditions were not yet in place.
“We believe that this is a wrong decision,” said Mäurer.
But the Bundesliga managed to play the remaining nine days (81 matches plus one late match) without any major contamination pushing a club out of the game.
The second division did not fare as well. Dynamo Dresden was quarantined in May after detecting cases of coronavirus, and then had to play every three days for a month to catch up. The club finished last and descended to the third division, with a strong feeling of having been the victim of an injustice.
© 2020 AFP
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