Empty Seats and Elbow Bumps As Bundesliga Makes Clinical Return

دوشنبه Sixteen 29 اردیبهشت 1399 16 شماره 6484 روزنامه ورزشی صبح ایران صاحب امتیاز: خبرگزاری جمهوری اسالمی مدیرمسئول: علی عالی تلفن: 14 ــ 88504113 نمابر: 84711173 سازمان آگهیها: 1877ــ 88501300 ــ88746583 انتشارات: 5 و 88548892 امور مشترکین: 88748800 ــ 88521954 نشانی: تهران، خیابان خرمشهر، شماره 208 / صندوق پستی 5388-15875 چاپ: ایرانیان [email protected] Empty seats and elbow bumps as Bundesliga makes clinical return The Guardian - Without the Covid-19 pandemic, Sat- balls used in their evening match against Borussia urday 16 May would have seen the final matches of Mönchengladbach at half-time. the German football league’s 57th season: a day of Union Berlin’s coach, Urs Fischer, will miss his passion and noise, tears of joy from the champions team’s game against Bayern Munich on Sunday af- and despair from fans of relegated teams. Instead, ter breaking quarantine following a family bereave- the restart of the Bundesliga after a nine-week break ment. Augsburg’s Heiko Herrlich was absent from was a strangely clinical affair, which is more likely to the touchline as his side lost to Wolfsburg on Sat- be remembered for unfamiliar hygiene routines, an urday, having left the team hotel earlier in the week eerie atmosphere inside the stadiums and awkward to buy toiletries. Players were advised to avoid com- elbow bumps. munal showers or even wait to wash off the sweat For the restart to go ahead, the 36 clubs in the first and dirt in their hotels. Hygiene masks had to be and second division had to abide by a strict code of worn in the dressing room, the players’ tunnel and regulations drawn up by the German football asso- on the subs bench. Hugs and high-fives during goal ciation. No more than a total of 300 people were al- celebrations had been discouraged. Most players lowed in and directly around the stadiums where the and coaches opted for a bump of the elbow or lower games took place. Clubs were responsible for stop- arm instead. When Dortmund’s prodigious Norwe- ping their fans from gathering outside the arenas’ gian striker Erling Braut Haaland scored the day’s gates, though fears of fans ignoring social distanc- first goal in the 29th minute, his team made sure to ing to cheer on their teams proved unfounded: at abide by social distancing to celebrate the opener. Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park, famed for its intense n the buildup to the matches, there had been high atmosphere, the only people passing by the empty hopes that the Bundesliga being the first high-profile stands were joggers. Around the pitch, there were football league in Europe to restart after the lock- no mascots and no children holding hands with play- down would create an image boost for a league of- ers in the tunnels. Ballboys, reduced to four at each ten overshadowed by the Premier League, Spain’s La match, wore gloves and had to be tested for the coro- Liga and Italy’s Serie A. Instead, footage of deserted navirus beforehand. TV reporters wore masks and stands and players’ shouts eerily echoing inside the plastic sheets over their microphones. The German empty stadiums seemed to mainly draw attention FA’s protocols advised clubs to disinfect match balls to the absence of the strongly nourished grassroots “before and during the match”, though only Eintra- fan culture that used to set the German league apart cht Frankfurt confirmed they would wipe clean the from others in Europe. Haaland ’not surprised’ to score in Bruce will respect decision if players refuse Dortmund’s Bundesliga return to play due to coronavirus concerns Goal - Erling Haaland confidently claimed his ion as players attempted to keep contact to a Goal - The Magpies manager has promised not full fitness, and insisted that - whatever the sit- immediate return to scoring form came as no minimum. to force any of his squad to take to the field if uation regarding Covid-19 - football should not surprise after helping Borussia Dortmund to a «You have to find a way to make the most of the they do not feel comfortable. resume until the end of June at the earliest. big Bundesliga win over Schalke. situation and have fun,» Brandt said. Newcastle boss Steve Bruce has insisted that «We need enough preparation time to get The 19-year-old Norwegian struck the opener «What better way to start than with a win? Obvi- he will respect any player’s decision to refuse these players into shape or they are just going in his side’s 4-0 victory at Signal Iduna Park on ously I’d prefer if conditions were normal, but it to play due to coronavirus concerns when – and to fall down like a pack of cards,» Bruce con- Saturday as Germany’s top tier resumed follow- is what it is. It wasn’t a perfect performance, but indeed if – Premier League football resumes. tinued. ing a two-month suspension due to the corona- I’m happy after such a lengthy hiatus.» Several players, such as Willian, Sergio Ague- «Most of the managers have the same con- virus pandemic. Dortmund’s preparations for the match were ro, Troy Deeney and Danny Rose, have spoken cerns. We would need at least six weeks. I Raphael Guerreiro added a brace either side of rocked after Giovanni Reyna, who was named in out and expressed a reluctance to be forced don’t see how we can play games until the an emphatic Thorgan Hazard finish to complete their starting line-up, was withdrawn after suf- back into action prematurely. back end of June.» the Revierderby rout for hosts Dortmund, who fering an injury in the warm up. And Bruce, along with Watford manager Nigel «If a player refuses to come in or play, I have showed few signs of rust. The 17-year-old was hoping to make his first Pearson, is understanding of his charges’ con- sympathy for that and would understand it. Haaland suggested his 10th goal in nine Bunde- Bundesliga start and manager Lucien Favre is cerns as Newcastle players begin to return to Most of my players are happy with it. sliga appearances was to be expected despite hoping the injury isn’t too severe as he looks to training in a limited capacity. «There was a captain’s meeting the other day admitting he was not yet fully up to speed. keep his team fit after a lengthy hiatus. «We’ve listened to what has been said and, as well and, as a squad, they are happy with the «Of course I’m not the same. I haven’t been play- «A lot of teams will have a few players who will with the precautions taken, we will get back measures that are being put in place. You have ing games for seven weeks, so of course not,» he be injured,» Favre said. «We started very late to work and start phase one,» Bruce told The to respect everybody’s personal views on it.» told the Bundesliga’s official website. with the 10 against 10 games, tackling and so Telegraph. In Germany, Bundesliga football has just made «But I know I have been working hard this period on. «Can we get to that stage where we can have a well-publicised return behind closed doors, and I am not surprised [to score], no.» «I hope Reyna has nothing. It won’t be long for all the players on the pitch together? We don’t while in France, Paris Saint-Germain have Haaland and Dortmund benefited from a bril- [Axel] Witsel and [Emre] Can, [Dan-Axel] Zaga- know yet. been awarded the Ligue 1 title and the season liant Julian Brandt display that steered the title dou won’t play again this season. «Phase one will be mainly fitness work, four or has been ended. contenders to within a point of leaders Bayern «Marco Reus has not yet played with the team. five players on a pitch. Let’s see how we get on The Premier League has yet to announce de- Munich. Nico Schulz has injured himself again, he is not [and hope there are no infections].» finitive plans on how the season should be The attacking midfielder was involved in all four allowed to do anything for two to three weeks. Additionally, Bruce was keen to stress the need concluded, however, as the UK remains in lock- goals, each of them celebrated in unusual fash- «Hazard only had cramp, no injury.» for players to be given the time to get back to down..

Load more