Soccer-Bayern's Flick welcomes more substitutions for busy season restart

Soccer-Bayern's Flick welcomes more substitutions for busy season restart

Bayern Munich's Hansi Flick welcomes the allowance of five substitutions for remainder of season as the Bundesliga ramps back up.

SHOWS: MUNICH, GERMANY (MAY 11, 2020) (FC BAYERN MUNICH HANDOUT- ACCESS ALL) 1.

GOAL SHOT (SLOW MOTION) 2.

VARIOUS OF BAYERN MUNICH TRAINING MUNICH, GERMANY (MAY 15, 2020) (FC BAYERN MUNICH HANDOUT- ACCESS ALL) 3.

(SOUNDBITE) (German) BAYERN MUNICH COACH, HANSI FLICK, SAYING: "I do believe that we live up to our role as role models.

Therefore, I think it is important that we all obey the rules.

And show on matchday that we are well prepared, and enjoy the sport of soccer and are happy that we can start again." MUNICH, GERMANY (MAY 11, 2020) (FC BAYERN MUNICH HANDOUT- ACCESS ALL) 4.

SLOW MOTION OF STRIKER, THOMAS MUELLER, AND DEFENDER, JEROME BOATENG, RUNNING MUNICH, GERMANY (MAY 15, 2020) (FC BAYERN MUNICH HANDOUT- ACCESS ALL) 5.

(SOUNDBITE) (German) BAYERN MUNICH COACH, HANSI FLICK, SAYING: "I am not afraid for any of my players.

And of course we addressed that issue with the team, with the players.

If someone had had some reservations, he could have decided not to play.

Without any consequences.

That is very normal in that situation.

But all our players are playing, except of course the injured." BERLIN, GERMANY (MAY 14, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 6.

SIGN ADVERTISING THE MATCH BAYERN VS UNION BERLIN 7.

VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF UNION BERLIN STADIUM 8.

EMPTY STANDS 9.

SIGN, READING (German) 'WE WEAR MASKS' BARSINGHAUSEN, GERMANY (FILE) (FC UNION BERLIN HANDOUT- ACCESS ALL) 10.

VARIOUS OF UNION BERLIN SQUAD TRAINING 11.

COACH, URS FISCHER, TALKING TO SQUAD 12.

SQUAD DURING TRAINING DORTMUND, GERMANY (MAY 14, 2020) (BORUSSIA DORTMUND HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL) 13.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND COACH, LUCIEN FAVRE, AND SPORTS DIRECTOR, MICHAEL ZORC, ARRIVING FOR PRESSER IN MASKS, THEN TAKE MASKS OFF TO BEGIN PRESSER 14.

FAVRE AND BORUSSIA PLAYERS AT TRAINING 15.

WIDE TRAINING 16.

PLAYERS RUNNING 17.

MATS HUMMELS AND FORWARD JULIAN BRANDT RUNNING 18.

(SOUNDBITE) (German) BORUSSIA DORTMUND COACH, LUCIEN FAVRE, SAYING: "It is a good idea to substitute five players.

It will be necessary.

Because not all teams will be in top form.

That will come back very soon, little by little, but this is the first match.

We haven't played any friendlies, of course.

And I think this is very good, the five substitutes.

It will be necessary." 19.

HUMMELS KICKING BALL 20.

JULIAN BRANDT WITH BALL 21.

MARCO REUS AND OTHERS PLAYING BALL 22.

VARIOUS OF TRAINING 23.

ROMAN BUERKI DURING GOAL KEEPER TRAINING GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY (MAY 14, 2020) (SCHALKE 04 HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL) 24.

VARIOUS OF SCHALKE 04 PLAYER WALKING ONTO PITCH WEARING FACEMASKS 25.

TRAINING 26.

COACH DAVID WAGNER 27.

(SOUNDBITE) (German) SCHALKE 04 COACH, DAVID WAGNER, SAYING: "Our big advantage after this break is that we are not just playing any match but we are playing the Ruhr derby (match between two clubs of the Ruhr area).

This makes it even more special.

And we focus even more.

Because this is 'the' match.

And yes, it is a pity that we'll play without spectators and especially our fans, but it is not important at the end of the day." 28.

VARIOUS OF TRAINING WITH BALL STORY: Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick on Friday (May 15) welcomed a decision to allow five substitutions for the remainder of the season as the Bundesliga restarts on Saturday (May 16) following a suspension of more than two months.

The German league is the first major sports competition to kick off on Saturday (May 16) without spectators and with a tight set of health regulations after the forced break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bundesliga approved the change in substitutions on Thursday (May 14), designed to help teams cope with fixture congestion as they rush to complete the season while players still lack fitness and match practice.

Bayern, who are top of the Bundesliga on 55 points, four ahead of Borussia Dortmund, travel to Union Berlin on Sunday (May 17), with nine matchdays left in the campaign.

Borussia's coach, Lucien Favre, also hailed the decision to substitute five players.

"It will be necessary.

Because not all teams will be in top form.

That will be back very soon, little by little, but this is the first match.

We haven't played any friendlies, of course.

And I think this is very good, the five substitutes.

It will be necessary." The players, who initially spent weeks at home following the lockdown in Germany, only gradually returned to training -- initially in small groups -- before resuming team practice.

All teams have gone into a one-week training camp in complete isolation in an effort to minimise the risk of infections as the Bundesliga rushes to wrap up the season for contractual reasons by June 30.

In the Western part of Germany, Dortmund and Schalke will open the restart with a bang - the Revierderby (match between two clubs of the Ruhr area).

The rivalry between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke goes back a long way and is known as 'the mother of all derbies' in the Bundesliga.

Even though supporters are not allowed in the stadium, the clash of the two teams will make the restart of the Bundesliga even more special for all those Ruhrgebiet (Ruhr area) fans.

"Our big advantage after this break is that we are not just playing any match but we are playing the Ruhr derby," said Schalke coach David Wagner.

(match between two clubs of the Ruhr area).

"And yes, it is a pity that we'll play without spectators and especially our fans, but it is not important at the end of the day."