Bundesliga returns with world watching

Bundesliga teams will be allowed up to five substitutions per match when it restarts on Saturday after the coronavirus stoppage, while teams will be relegated provided the season is completed, the German Football League (DFL) said on Thursday.

Short-term venue changes will also be permitted if health reasons dictate and the season will continue beyond its re-scheduled finish date of June 30 and into July if necessary, the DFL said following a general assembly.

The Bundesliga will be the first major European league to resume when it gets going following a two-month break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The second tier will also get underway.

All matches will be played behind closed doors, and progress will be watched around Europe.

Doubts have already surfaced after second tier Dynamo Dresden's entire squad were quarantined by the local health authority following two positive tests, forcing their first two games to be postponed. However, when three players at Cologne tested positive, only the trio were isolated.

Under German law, the final decision in such cases lies with local health authorities.

Football's rule-making body IFAB ruled earlier this month that teams could make five substitutions instead of three as a temporary measure but said the final decision lay with competition organisers.

The DFL became the first major league to implement the change which is designed to help teams cope with fixture congestion.

The DFL said that all but one of its 36 member clubs voted in favour of maintaining relegation.

No decision was taken on what would happen if the season had to be called off for health reasons.