Bundesliga set to become first major European league to return

The proposal, that still needs to be given the green light by the German government, would see matches return from May 9

The Bundesliga in Germany is set to become the first major European league to return following the coronavirus pandemic.

Covid-19 has decimated sporting schedules all over the globe with leagues forced to shutter their doors and suspend seasons indefinitely.

It remains Uefa's "strong recommendation" for leagues to complete the 2019/20 campaigns rather than cancel them.

And to that end Germany are set to bring the top two tiers of their competitions back, albeit under a number of conditions.

The proposal, that still needs to be given the green light by the German government, would see matches return from May 9.

German football federation (DFL) CEO Christian Seifert said: "The Bundesliga is ready to resume, no matter whether on May 9 or a later date. But it's not up to us to find a date. The political decision makers decide.

"We have not defined an exact date today. The fact that we are even able to think about resuming games underlines the performance of the German authorities.

"It would be presumptuous for the DFL to name an exact date for the restart."

Matches would be limited to having just 322 people in each stadium with the DFL estimating it will require in the region of 25,000 tests to check on players on a weekly basis.

Other measures such as pitchside sinks and masks for all present at stadia have also been suggested.