Football is back, but: 8 pictures from Bundesliga that can hurt fans of 'the beautiful game'
Wild celebrations and happy hugs are not part of the 'beautiful game' anymore as fan roars and rhythmic chants have become a thing of the past in the top-tier German league - the first to return after the pandemic suspension.
Aaron of FSV Mainz 05 takes a corner kick during the German Bundesliga match against 1. FC Cologne in Cologne. Set-pieces taken closer to the stands are usually marked by vibrant roars of the fans. Social distancing protocols means only the players' voice echoed in the otherwise packed galleries of Germany. (Photo | AP)
Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland on Saturday celebrated his 10th goal in nine Bundesliga games with a restrained dance as his teammates stayed back. (Photo | AFP)
A Bayern Munich supporter stands at the closed entrance to the Stadion An der Alten Foersterei during the Bundesliga match between FC Union Berlin and Bayern on Monday. Fans are not allowed to enter stadiums anymore due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo | AP)
Shirts of the fans hang over the seats prior to the Bundesliga match between 1. FC Cologne and FSV Mainz 05 in Cologne on Sunday. (Photo | AP)
Schalke substitutes sit on the bench wearing masks and maintaining social distancing during their match against Borussia Dortmund on Sunday. Wild celebrations and happy hugs are not part of the 'beautiful game' anymore. (Photo | AP)
Footballs are disinfected during a Bundesliga match. (Photo | AP)
The match balls will be disinfected regularly during the action. (Photo | AP)
Pre-game television interviews were conducted with long poles holding microphones and participants keeping their distance, further limiting fan-media- team interactions. (Photo | AFP)
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