[Sport]Opinion: Germany's Bundesliga coronavirus kickoff is no silver bullet

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Whether you think it's a public health risk built on arrogance or a boost to spirits laid low by the coronavirus pandemic, a sustained, successful return for Germany's Bundesliga, its top football league, would be a good thing. If it all runs smoothly, it could suggest that things are starting to get back to normal, right? Well, yes — but that seems close to impossible. Every day seems to bring a new problem and a new plan. There will be crises, the only question is how serious they are. But football is coming back, and while most of those playing and running the game want their sporting fix, there's absolutely no denying that the main reason we'll be able to watch Borussia Dortmund vs. Schalke or Hoffenheim vs. Hertha Berlin on Saturday is money. Kommentarbild Matt Pearson DW's Matt Pearson Back to business In a sense, that's entirely reasonable. As many as a third of the clubs in Germany's top two divisions will go bust if the season can't be completed. That's a lot of jobs on the line — not just the players but support staff, stewards, kitchen porters and ticket office administrators. Football is far from the only business that wants to get its main revenue stream back, though the overreliance on TV money laid bare in recent weeks may provide a lesson to some. As in several other top European leagues, the pandemic has exposed the extent to which top flight German football relies on broadcast income over gate receipts, merchandise and other more traditional income streams. If the TV money tap ever dries up, many clubs will simply cease to be viable. But not everyone sees this problem. Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was in bullish mood when asked about what the restart will mean for the league this week. "If the Bundesliga is the only league to be broadcast on TV around the globe, then I assume that we will have an audience of billions around the world," he said. Fair enough, if perhaps a little on the ambitious side. But as he continued speaking to German tabloid Sport Bild, he touched on an issue that's more serious than a man pumping up the business that helps him pay the bills. "This will not only be a promotion for our football, for the Bundesliga, but for the whole country and especially for German politics, which made this possible in the first place with its very good approach," he said. "When I was a young lad, 'Made in Germany' was a trademark. That has been lost somewhat in recent years. The relaunch of the Bundesliga also shows that 'Made in Germany' is once again an absolute seal of quality."

 

Edited May 16, 2020 by YaKuZa--BoSs
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