It wasn’t soccer as we usually know it but games were finally played again on Saturday in Germany, bringing high-profile sporting competition back during the coronavirus pandemic.
It wasn’t soccer as we usually know it but games were finally played again on Saturday in Germany, bringing high-profile sporting competition back during the coronavirus pandemic.
While fans weren’t allowed — the most obvious difference to normal match days — the Bundesliga’s six gamesno doubt boosted morale among those watching on television around the world who craved actionin a top league. Not to mention the clubs themselves which desperately need the lucrative television money to operate and thrive.
Follow @cnnsport
Indeed, the Bundesliga is the first major European soccer division to return to action, perhaps providing a template in some ways for how American sports leagues can proceed.
Germany’s top tier regularly attracts an average of 43,300 people every game, but these matches are being played behind closed doors.
“It was weird, but we were ready for the fact that there wouldn’t be any spectators,” said Leipzig defender Lukas Klostermann after his side’s 1-1 home draw against Freiburg.
Read More
The Bundesliga’s hiatus lasted nine weeks, with the three other elite soccer divisions in harder-hit countries in Europe — the UK’s Premier League, Spain’s La Liga and Italy’s Serie A — not yet providing a set date for their comebacks. Those leagues surely were keeping an eye on how Saturday went.
Borussia Dortmund’s game against local rival Schalke 04 was played with no fans as soccer returned.
Germany, which has been praised for its handling of the pandemic, has reported over 173,000 coronavirus cases with nearly 8,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
