Dhe professionals of FC Bayern had already put on the white jerseys for their cup semi-finals in the dressing room when German basketball experienced the great corona shock. After two positive tests at the BG Göttingen and the short-term cancellation of the Cup final tournament, the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) is now faced with a difficult deadline puzzle.
In less than two months, the BBL wants to end its main round, crown the champions – and also make up for the cup in the top four format. “Of course it will be super tight at the back,” said BBL managing director Stefan Holz of the German Press Agency (dpa). “The season is not over yet, we also have to play the playoffs. The very clear goal, however, is to finish the cup this season. “
The already tight schedule is therefore still under pressure: The 34th and final main round matchday is planned for May 9th. The individual teams still have to play between four to seven league games. The playoff format in which the champions should then be determined should be decided as soon as possible. Due to the international calendar, the season must end by June 13th.
“It’s a setback for us, but I hope that the league will work flat out to find a way to catch up with the tournament,” said Marko Pesic, managing director of FC Bayern basketball at Magentasport. “The BBL always found a solution last season and this season. I think there is enough flexibility to find an appointment. “
BBL schedule: where is there still space?
The scheduling of the cup with the semi-finals between hosts Bavaria and ratiopharm Ulm and defending champion Alba Berlin against Göttingen had already caused heated debates beforehand. The Munich team complained that the data was retained despite their start in the Euroleague quarter-final series against Milan on Tuesday. Bayern sports director Daniele Baiesi spoke of a “shame”.
As a reply to allegations from Munich, BBL boss Holz presented the trophy as having no alternative. “Of course we have looked seriously at alternatives,” he said on Thursday. “We looked at it about 300 times, but we couldn’t find another date.” Now that is exactly what has to happen. For example, Pesic brought up the third weekend in May on Saturday.
The two positively tested Göttingen residents drove back to Lower Saxony in their rental car on Saturday. The remaining players who tested negative traveled by team bus and went into self-isolation upon arrival. The Göttingen health department will now decide whether the team needs to be quarantined and the deadline pressure will increase.
Waiving their cup semi-finals was not an option for the Göttingen team. “There was no question for us that we would apply for a move,” said BG managing director Frank Meinertshagen of the dpa. “We have to because a lot of money, sponsors and advertising are attached to it.” In the qualifying tournaments for the cup, games were postponed several times due to corona cases among teams.
One player tested positive on Friday and another on Saturday, confirmed Meinertshagen. “That was a very negative surprise at a very inopportune time.” On Thursday, all tests were still negative. Meinertshagen emphasized that all players, coaches and team members had adhered to all regulations.
The four participating teams stayed – as they did in the championship final last year – all in a Munich hotel. The BBL hygiene officer Florian Kainzinger “completely” ruled out that players from the other teams could also have become infected due to the separation of the teams: “I don’t see any danger.”
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