To help flatten the curve and reduce the number of people that get exposed to COVID-19, many soccer leagues worldwide had suspended their seasons unsure if completing the remainder of their year would be possible. Some leagues have already chosen to end their season early, awarding the team currently in first place the title or completely voiding the season and leaving it unfinished without a winner. However, on May 16, Germany’s Bundesliga will become the first European league to restart their season as teams are still on the hunt for qualification to the UEFA Champions League, an annual soccer competition consisting of top-level European Clubs. 

As the Bundesliga begins to restart the remainder of the season, fans will only be able to watch their team play on TV, as the rest of the games will be played behind closed doors. The Bundesliga is hoping to complete the league by June 30 as games will start on May 16. There will be about 300 people in the stadium on match days consisting of players, staff, and officials. The Bundesliga reported for the 19-20 season that the league averaged a match day of 43,000 fans, according to the Bundesliga.

All major sports in the U.S. are currently suspended and decisions are still being made on how each sports season can be continued amidst the COVID-19 epidemic. 

The Bundesliga will resume under strict health protocols that require players, coaching staff, and referees to be tested for COVID-19. As the Bundesliga will be the only major European soccer league to have restarted, the league is expected to have a big spike in viewership once games start to resume. Fans of the beautiful game will be anticipating the return of their favorite team back onto the soccer pitch.

Eric Manon can be found at [email protected]