German Chancellor Angela Merkel addresses the media in Berlin on August 27, 2020.
German football stadiums will most likely remain empty for the initial part of the season as Chancellor Angela Merkel warmly extended a ban on large gatherings until December 31.
It comes after Merkel met with her 16 state governors on Thursday to discuss how to stem coronavirus infections in the country after daily infection rates spiked to the highest levels since the end of April.
Sport was not the main focus of the talks, but it is covered by the decision to extend the ban on events where hygiene and tracing can’t be ensured.
That ban was initially set to run until October 31 but was extended for another two months.
The state governors’ chiefs of staff will, however, form a working group to consider the possibility of spectators at events and report their findings by the end of October.
Bavarian governor Markus Söder agreed with health minister Jens Spahn’s assertion that it would send the “wrong signal” to allow fans to go to the games.

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