The resumption of the Bundesliga was necessary to preserve clubs with centuries of history, the league's CEO Christian Seifert has said.
The top tier in Germany became the first of Europe's major leagues to return to action last weekend following the suspensions forced across the continent by the coronavirus pandemic.
With Ligue 1 cancelled and Serie A, La Liga and the Premier League still yet to start again despite hopes of doing so, all eyes were on the behind-closed-doors games in Bundesliga and the second division.
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Other competitions have been criticised for wishing to restart when lockdown measures are still so prevalent for many other industries, but Seifert explained that not resuming the Bundesliga would have been dangerous for clubs' livelihoods.