Pool photo by Alexander Hassenstein
Germany’s privilege was also its risk. On May 16, the Bundesliga became the first major league in any sport in the world to tread gingerly into the light of the post-coronavirus world and attempt to play on. To some, it was a purely financial decision, evidence of soccer’s lost soul. To others, it was existential pragmatism, the only way to ensure survival.
Either way, the Bundesliga became a trailblazer, a reference point for all the other leagues trying to find their way out of lockdown. England’s Premier League has credited its German rival with accelerating its own return, and Bundesliga executives reported fielding calls from their counterparts in major North American sports who were eager to pick their brains.