Bundesliga launching online FIFA tournament amid stoppage

Berlin, March 25, 2020 (AFP) - The Bundesliga is launching an online tournament between clubs for the next two weeks, with each team made up of a professional player and a member of club staff, the German Football League (DFL) announced on Wednesday.

With all football halted by the coronavirus pandemic, 26 of the 36 clubs in the top two German divisions have signed up for the "Bundesliga Home Challenge", which will begin on 28 March using the FIFA 20 game, the DFL said.

The games will be shown on Saturday and Sunday at the usual times for Bundesliga matches on the YouTube channel normally reserved for another eFootball competition, the Virtual Bundesliga.

That has been organised by the German top-flight since 2012 with dedicated teams sponsored by the clubs and was due to play its final this weekend, before it was halted because of coronavirus restrictions.