The Bundesliga will allow clubs to make up to five substitutions per match when it restarts after the coronavirus stoppage, while teams will be relegated provided the season is completed, the German Football League (DFL) said Thursday. Short-term venue changes will also be permitted if health reasons dictate such a need and the season will continue beyond its re-scheduled finish date of June 30 and into July if necessary, the DFL said following a general assembly. The Bundesliga will be the first major European league to resume when it gets going on Saturday following a two-month break due to the coronavirus pandemic. All matches will be played behind closed doors, and its progress will be closely watched around Europe. The second tier 2. Bundesliga will also get under way. Soccer's rule-making body IFAB ruled earlier this month that teams could make five substitutions instead of the usual three as a temporary measure but said the final decision lay with competition organisers. The DFL became the first major league to implement the change which is designed to help teams cope with fixture congestion as they rush to complete the season. The DFL said that all but one of its 36 member clubs voted in favour of maintaining relegation. "(The assembly) unanimously confirmed, with one abstention, the intention to carry out the current 2019/20 season in its entirety, including relegation, as far as legally possible and, if necessary, to continue beyond 30 June in July," it said. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
