Eyes turn to germany as the bundesliga returns

Emily Gray

May 24, 2020

GERMANY - In each of our lives, we have experienced historical moments where the world has hit pause and turned to sports as a sign of hope.

However, unlike those times, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the sporting world to also stay at home – including the world’s game of soccer.

After a lengthy gap dating back to March 11, Germany’s Bundesliga returned on May 16 for Matchday 26 behind closed doors and with implemented safety precautions. They are the first of Europe’s top five leagues to execute their commitment to complete the 2019-20 domestic season.

A handful of leagues, including those in France and the Netherlands, have been forced to call off their domestic seasons to comply with government regulations. This has caused chaos in the way federations decide promotion, relegation and the coveted opportunities for European competitions.

As a nation, Germany has been applauded for their strict efforts to slow the spread of the virus. The equally prepared DFL, the German soccer federation, has worked closely with government officials and health experts to create hygiene protocols for their league’s return to play.

When training resumed in early April, teams were advised to begin on an individual basis, which eventually led into small groups. After a month of small group training, clubs were allowed to return to full-contact training on May 7.

Some of the hygiene guidelines in the buildup included testing all first and second division players and staff twice each week, disinfecting balls and equipment regularly and keeping two meters (six feet) of distance on the training pitch as much as possible.

To protect the players from injury after such a long break, FIFA authorized leagues to allow for five substitutions in a match as opposed to the usual three.

As the eyes of the world turned toward the television for the Bundesliga, everyone got a glimpse of the standard protocols in action.

Instead of the traditional handshakes and walkouts, each team entered the pitch from opposite sides. Substitutes and support staff took their seats at a distance with face coverings mandated when players are not active.

Additionally, these matches are being played without fans. There are only 300 people allowed inside the stadium, all who are tested and accounted for by the federation. That’s a large difference from the average league attendance of 41,000 fans.

Despite the successful restart, the show didn’t go on without a few hiccups and some controversy, not to mention the awkward atmosphere inside the arenas.

Augsburg’s manager, Heiko Herrlich, was prohibited from coaching his side last Saturday as his punishment for breaking quarantine orders after leaving the team hotel to buy toothpaste.

As footballers around the world looked on, there seemed to be one protocol up for debate: goal celebrations.

Prior to the weekend slate of matches, players were reminded to elbow bump in place of high-fives, to not spit on the turf and were advised to refrain from hugging in celebration of a goal.

For the most part, players followed the guidelines mainly to protect their health, but they are also desperate to play and will adapt in whatever way is necessary.

Still, the 90 minutes of a soccer game are filled with emotion and it was noticeably easy for players to experience momentary lapses in these guidelines after goals.

During the latter end of the match between Hoffenheim and Hertha Berlin, Hertha starlet Matheus Cunha scored to put the home side up 3-0 and the ‘discouraged’ celebrations ensued.

After the match, the DFL clarified that no players would be punished for that incident and that it is only highly encouraged that the players maintain physical distance after goals.

Bruno Labbadia, Hertha Berlin’s manager, defended his players in a post-match interview.

“Soccer is a contact sport,” Labbadia said. “We are close to the opponents during every duel, every corner kick. It is a fine line we are walking.”

Meanwhile, in the Revierderby, the rivalry between Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04, one of Dortmund’s young prodigies picked up right where he left off. Erling Haaland, who joined BVB on January 1, scored his tenth goal in his ninth Bundesliga appearance.

With the derby being recognized as the matchup of the weekend, the world got to take in his 'socially distanced' goal celebration in the 29^th minute.

A concern heading into the restart was the lack of fans inside the stadiums. Certainly hearing every word the players were shouting on the pitch made for a new experience, but closed stadiums seemed to have removed an element of home field advantage.

Dortmund was the only home team to come away with a win after home sides finished 1-4-3 on the weekend. Even without the legendary ‘Yellow Wall’ to roar them on, Dortmund was able to pull off a 4-0 thrashing over Schalke. Some joked that the away side wasn’t aware that social distancing did not carry over to the game.

After the final whistle, BVB players lined up to applaud their supporters, as is tradition after an impressive derby win.

A hidden element that could possibly explain the lack of home success for the rest of this season is refereeing decisions. An article in The Guardian analyzed the differences in the Bundesliga behind closed doors, showing evidence that many things - like the referees - have changed.

According to Opta, the sports statistical database cited in the article, before the pause of the season, referees awarded 151 more fouls against away teams, in addition to 62 more yellow cards. The first weekend since the restart showed a significant difference in that bias with more fouls and yellow cards given against the home teams.

Without large crowds and passionate supporters’ sections, referees are less biased and are more likely to call an equal game.

Title contenders Borussia Mönchengladbach spent the lockdown period preparing for the loss of actual fans filling Borussia-Park and creatively packed the stands with cardboard cut-outs of their supporters.

With all proceeds going to local charities, this gave fans an opportunity to assist the healthcare system in their fight against the virus and make a difference on the pitch for their beloved club.

In an interview with ESPN analyst Taylor Twellman, USMNT and Schalke midfielder, Weston McKennie, who played the full 90 against Dortmund, described the lack of atmosphere and playing behind closed doors.

“It was awkward, it felt like soccer but it didn’t feel like soccer at the same time,” McKennie said. “You have to really depend on your self motivation and your self drive to really give your 100 percent in the game.”

The result from that first weekend did not go McKennie’s way, but the Americans in the Bundesliga collectively struggled.

McKennie was a step off the pace and struggled to contain Dortmund’s fluid attacking threat off the counter. He put together a solid performance compared to that of his Schalke teammates, though expectations for him are higher.

Even so, he was not the major American talking point from that match. Seventeen-year-old Giovanni Reyna was set to make his first start for Dortmund before picking up a minor injury in the warmup.

Tyler Adams and his top four side RB Leipzig dropped points at home versus Freiburg, making for a disappointing result in their return. Manager Julian Nagelsmann inserted Adams into the starting XI at right wingback, which further fueled the debate for USMNT fans as to what his best position should be for the national team.

Unlike his compatriots, John Brooks put together a solid start at the back in VfL Wolfsburg’s win after completing 93% of his passes. His team heads into Matchday 27 comfortably in sixth place which would qualify them for Europa League football next season.

The American faithful will hope their rising stars shine brighter as the games roll on.

For now, the Bundesliga title race is heating up as Bayern Munich looks to pull ahead of Dortmund. The two face off in Der Klassiker on Tuesday, May 26.

The return of the Bundesliga was seemingly successful last weekend with no reports of any major incidents or a rise in cases. Around the world, sporting directors will keep a close eye on the league moving forward and will attempt to mimic similar hygiene guidelines.