This archive report was first published on 16 May 2020.
The sporting world's attention is focused on Germany this weekend as the Bundesliga becomes the first major soccer league to emerge from the shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
On May 16, 2020, all 18 clubs in the league will return to action, with strict health and safety protocols in place to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission. The games will be played behind closed doors, with only around 200 people, including medics, security, hygiene staff, and certain media personnel, allowed in the stadium.
The highly anticipated Revierderby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 will be played without the usual raucous fans, with only eerie silence expected. Dortmund's head of pro players, Sebastian Kehl, described the game as 'the most unusual derby in history,' citing the absence of fans and the intensity of the stadium.
A heavy police presence is expected outside the Westfalenstadion to prevent fans and anti-lockdown protestors from gathering, which could potentially disrupt the restart of the league.
While opinions are divided about the decision to resume top-tier soccer during the pandemic, the Bundesliga title race could still turn into a classic. Dortmund are in second place, four points behind leaders Bayern Munich, who are seeking an eighth successive crown. RB Leipzig are a further point in arrears.
Bayern Munich will travel to Union Berlin on Sunday, while RB Leipzig host Freiburg and Borussia Moenchengladbach travel to Eintracht Frankfurt. The league has introduced a new rule allowing clubs to make five substitutions per game, designed to help cope with the potential pile-up of fixtures.
A TV audience of one billion is expected to tune in for the weekend's Bundesliga fixtures, according to Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
