The German Bundesliga, the first major European soccer league to come back from the two-month COVID-19 suspension, will resume play in empty stadiums — and on U.S. television — this weekend. But as Christian Seifert, head of the country’s soccer association, made clear in a news conference Thursday, the league’s return shouldn’t be seen as a return to normal.
“We are playing on parole and every match day is a chance to prove that we deserve the next one,” said Seifert whose teams were averaging 43,300 a game before the pandemic stopped play.
Stadiums this weekend will be limited to fewer than 215 people, including players, staff and journalists.