Thomas Doll

The Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga will resume on Saturday, with the Revierderby clash between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke a standout fixture.

Bayern Munich continue their pursuit of an eighth consecutive title at Union Berlin on Sunday.

A detailed programme of coronavirus testing and social distancing measures have been put in place by the DFL to ensure the smoothest progress possible after the German government granted permission for sport to return, and ex-Hamburg and Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Doll is impressed.

"I am more than ready for the restart," Doll told Stats Perform. "Everybody who loves football must have been missing it really bad - even if we know that there are a lot of topics, which are even more important than football.

"I also talked to a lot of guys, everybody is happy about the restart. There is a difference between an arena with spectators and an empty one, but I think everybody is aware of the fact, that there is no other possibility right now."

An extensive roll-out of COVID-19 testing to all of Germany's top 36 clubs has formed a key pillar in the restart plans.

Cologne entertain Mainz on Sunday despite confirming three positive tests – reported to be two players and a physiotherapist – last week, while Dynamo Dresden's 2. Bundesliga meetings with Hannover and Furth will be rescheduled after their squad were placed in quarantine for two weeks.

"I think the restart can succeed, if everybody is acting according to this brilliant concept of the DFL, which is not that easy to handle," Doll said. "If everybody sticks to this it can work out.

"We already saw a lot of tests, to I think about 2,000 persons only in the Bundesliga. Cologne were affected already, unfortunately now it is Dynamo Dresden and Hannover. That's too bad, because you don't want to be behind the other teams."

The Bundesliga's restart plans were cast in an unhelpful light when experienced Hertha Berlin attacker Salomon Kalou posted a now-deleted Facebook video of himself flouting social distancing and safety measures at the club's training groud.

Hertha suspended the Ivory Coast international and Doll feels they had little choice.

"There was no other possibility to protect the club," he added. "The decision was not only made by [head coach] Bruno Labbadia, the whole club decided to suspend Kalou.

"By now Kalou realises his mistake. But that's no excuse for his failure.

"He is not 18 anymore, so at his age you should be a little bit smarter. He already had paid his price for that. He put Hertha in a very bad situation, so they only had the option to pull the ripcord."

Gascoigne made a high-profile switch from Tottenham to the Roman club in 1992, his star still riding high in Italy after his superb performances inspired England's run to the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup.

However, he had since endured a year of rehabilitation from a cruciate knee ligament injury sustained during the 1991 FA Cup final and fitness woes were a constant during Gascoigne's stay in the Italian capital, which ended when he joined Rangers in 1995.

Germany international Doll played for Lazio between 1991 and 1994 and he has fond memories of his fellow midfielder – a figure as popular in the dressing room as he was on the terraces.

"Paul was a real team player and a real good guy who found himself comfortable very quickly because of his humour and also because of his class," the told Stats Perform.

Doll explained himself, compatriot Karl-Heinz Riedle, Netherlands midfielder Aaron Winter and Gascoigne palled around as Lazio's foreign legion, but no one in the dressing room was safe from the Englishman's trademark sense of humour.

"Paul was a joker for everybody," he recalled. "For example, he tied the shoelaces of the players together or he crashed interviews while only wearing his underwear and such things. There were so many stories about him."

Doll also painted the picture of a selfless figure who remains much-loved by supporters in his retirement.

"He was very kind to the young players," he added.

"When he was in England, he sometimes brought back CD players and donated them to the young players, or he picked them up if they had no car at that time.

"He was a totally crazy guy, but the whole team liked him very much."