Coronavirus forces first Bundesliga game behind closed doors

Wednesday’s Rhine derby between Borussia Moenchengladbach and Cologne will be held behind closed doors due to the coronavirus, the first game in Bundesliga history to be played without fans, officials said Tuesday.

Bundesliga games had been going ahead as usual, even as thenumber of people testing positive for the coronavirus continued to rise inGermany, passing 1,000 on Monday.

   

Yet on Sunday, the country’s health minister Jens Spahnrequested that all events with more than 1,000 people be cancelled “untilfurther notice”.

German Football League (DFL) chief Christian Seifert warnedSunday that “the season must end by mid-May” in order to ensureclarity over promotion, relegation and qualification for internationalcompetition.

The decision to close stadium doors will ultimately be madeon a case-by-case basis by regional authorities.

On Tuesday, local authorities ordered the Ruhr derby betweenBorussia Dortmund and Schalke taking place on Saturday to be played in an emptystadium.Dortmund’s Champions League match against ParisSaint-Germain in Paris on Wednesday will also be played behind closed doors.

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