The development of the final rounds of the current Bundesliga season was thrown into doubt on Friday after a coronavirus outbreak at Hertha Berlin forced the capital club into a two-week quarantine. The German Football League (DFL) said it would postpone Hertha's next three matches after defender Marvin Plattenhardt became the fourth member of the club to test positive in one day on Thursday.
With the entire squad forced into self-isolation for two weeks, the relegation-threatened club must now plan the next three games they were due to play in eight days. Schalke had scheduled a trip to Mainz on Sunday, a home game against Freiburg next Wednesday and a visit to Schalke on April 24. In fact, Hertha is the first team from the Bundesliga to be forced into quarantine for two weeks.
"This is the right step from a health perspective, but it is definitely a blow for us from a sporting perspective. We will have to play six games before the end of the season which is on May 22 and it will not be easy at all." , Hertha sporting director Arne Friedrich said.
After coach Pal Dardai, assistant Admir Hamzagiq and Belgium striker Dodi Lukebakio tested positive on Thursday morning, Hertha initially planned to isolate together as a team in a local hotel, allowing only training and matches. But that idea was dashed with Plattenhardt's positive test and local health authorities imposing immediate isolation. Hertha called these "stricter measures".
Friedrich said the team would hold "virtual training sessions" at home to try to stay fit for the rest of the matches that remained crucial in the fight for survival.
The coronavirus outbreak also "guarantees" a headache for the Bundesliga, with the German Football League (DFL) under pressure to finish the season by the end of May before the players leave for the European Championships in the summer. Similar outbreaks of the virus have already plunged the second division into chaos this month, with three clubs already in self-isolation and unable to play.
also
The coronavirus is preventing the return of the Bundesliga
However, DFL President Christian Seifert said there was enough time to schedule all the postponed games. He has insisted that the cancellation of the season cannot happen at this moment due to the cases of coronavirus.
"In my opinion, there is no reason to think about suspending the season at this point," Seifert said.
He added that the league may "rethink" the option of canceling the season if the situation with the virus changes over the next two weeks. In a statement, the DFL said it would announce new dates for Hertha's postponed matches "in the coming week".
