Sports is about to return to lockdown in Germany. Chancellor Angela Merkel and the 16 heads of the German federal states decided at a virtual meeting on Wednesday that all professional sports, including the Bundesliga, must be played behind closed doors from November 2.

The German government had good reasons to do so. On Wednesday, 14,964, new COVID-19 inflections were reported, creating a horrible new record in the country (which was surpassed by 16,774 on Thursday). In order to combat the new wave of the pandemic, Germany decided to put public life under restrictions again.

Despite its rationality, the decision was still bad news for Germany's sports world. The head of Germany's handball league (HBL) called it a "symbolic decision taken in contrast to the facts." The country's Basketball-Bundesliga (BBL) described the restrictions as "baseless" and said, "there are no technical or hygienic reasons for this." "Sports wants to continue to be part of the solution and not the problem," said Alfons Hoermann, president of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB).

By contrast, the football world voiced in a more conciliatory way. "There is no doubt that the worsening pandemic requires additional efforts in all walks of life," said the German Football League (DFL) in a statement on Wednesday. In the new Bundesliga season, attendance was allowed in some of the games in a restricted way – no more than 20 percent of stadium capacity.

However, that does not mean the DFL likes the government's decision. "Based on this (the various hygiene concepts), fans and clubs have implemented hygiene and distance rules in a disciplined manner. Almost without exception, all parties have adhered to the rules. It is thus regrettable that this is no longer possible," said the statement as well.

The 2020-21 Bundesliga season has finished five weeks of games. RB Leipzig led the ranking table with 13 points (4W-1D). Bayern Munich (4W-1L, 12 points) and Borussia Dortmund (4W-1L, 12 points) followed in second and third.