The Bundesliga restart: Promise of a return to normality

With the eyes of the soccer world on it, the much-anticipated return of the Bundesliga marked the first milestone on the long road to soccer normalcy.

After weeks of fantasizing about live soccer (or any team sport, actually) the much-anticipated return of the Bundesliga marked the first milestone on the long road to soccer normalcy. As the eyes of the soccer world turned to Germany here are some first impressions of soccer in the age of COVID-19.

The weekend’s main attraction in the Bundesliga was highlighted by the “Revierderby” between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04, an intense local rivalry usually featuring one of the most intense game-day atmospheres anywhere. None of that was on display this time around and yet, the return of this Bundesliga Light-type action for had enough on display to entertain the action-starved casual fan. At the very least, the sights (if not exactly the sounds) of the game itself (sans fans and the inherent atmosphere) featuring two of the most recognizable outfits in the league provided a much-needed sense of comfort.

The starkest reinforcement of how strange and bizarre this all is came by way of the ambient sound, akin to what you’d hear at your local indoor pool during a sparsely attended swim meet. The cavernous empty stands were a somewhat jarring sight, a constant reminder of the dreadful times we are living.

The lack of atmosphere may end up being the litmus test for the fans of the game, with the distinct possibility that those fans who are in it for the spectacle of soccer, as opposed to The Game itself, may end up taking a leave of absence from the sport (or the game) until things return to normal (i.e. fans are allowed in the stands).

Suffice to say that the game itself was not boring, per se. Even though only one of the teams (Dortmund) appeared prepared for the league restart, the game featured enough end-to-end action, flicks, scoring chances and goals to quench the thirst of the casual fan.

Behind all this hope and excitement that accompanied the restart of the German league hides a real sense of dread, the terror that this Bundesliga house of cards can come tumbling down at any moment robbing us of any hope of a full return to normality (or at least the “new” normality). Any incidence of a player, coach, member of staff testing positive for COVID-19 can mark the beginning of the end.

We have already seen a few reminders of just how precarious the state of affairs is.

Augsburg’s coach Heiko Herrlich missed the game (i.e. was banned from the game) as he inadvertently broke quarantine to buy toothpaste outside of the team hotel.

Another cringe-inducing lowlight was a goal celebration featuring a kiss on the cheek, perhaps the usual celebratory stuff in the “olden days” (all the way back in February!) but a most awkward instance, by COVID-era standards.

With the eyes of the rest of the top leagues on the German, the stakes are extremely high for things to progress along without major hiccups.

Whether it would be player(s) found positive or large gathering of fans outside of stadium grounds disrupting the social distancing protocols – the likelihood of a stoppage in league play looms large over any matchday.

We have already seen a hitch in the second-division Bundesliga2, after two Dynamo Dresden players tested positive for COVID-19 last week. The team had to essentially hit restart before restarting and enter a 14-day quarantine, having to postpone their game against Hannover 96 as well as their upcoming game this weekend. The rest of the league’s teams played on.

So far all of Bundesliga’s next matchday action this upcoming weekend is on as scheduled. The Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A are all at various stages of returning over the next few weeks or months, and paying close attention hoping to learn from and avoid any bumps on the road to their full return. Here’s to hoping things progress along nicely and that any hiccups along the way are odd enough for tabloid fodder but not severe enough to break up league play.