Football-starved fans will be watching closely this weekend to see if the Bundesliga can pave the way for the rest of Europe to make a return to football.
One player hoping to make the most of the German top flight's new-found popularity is Paderborn wing-back Jamilu Collins.
The Nigerian international has gone from being a free agent to sought-after Bundesliga regular in the space of three years. His club may be sitting at the bottom of the league table, but for Collins, he’s just grateful to be playing football at all right now.
“Being at home all day during quarantine was difficult,” he says. “It has been really hard but now, because of our activities, the football is coming back here in Germany.”
For football to be retuning so soon is somewhat of a miracle in itself, given the cataclysmic effect that Covid-19 continues to have worldwide.
But for Collins, Germany is living testament that it can be done safely. “I wish football professionals would follow the rules like they do in Germany, because we are going good,” he says.
“The hotels, the management in the hotels, are all well organised. Everybody follows the rules with the social distancing, with the gloves, with the hand sanitiser. Because everyone is following the rules, it makes everything easier [to restart].”
Life for the Paderborn players and those at other Bundesliga clubs now involves living in hotels under strict quarantine conditions.
“Everything is okay because we have rules to follow,” explains Collins. “We have to put on our masks, we have to keep distance between each other when we eat. Everybody is in their room, but when there is training, we go to the training. So it’s okay, we all have a good time.”
On the subject of Paderborn’s training sessions, Collins is quick to point to the gradual changes that have made football’s return possible.
“At the beginning, it was all distance training; we were all in groups of four players to make distancing between ourselves possible. Gradually they began to test us. Every two days they test, to see if we have coronavirus.
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Top scorers in Bundesliga
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Marius Bulter, Union Berlin (seven goals). Getty -
Suat Serdar, left, of Schalke (seven goals). AFP -
Andrej Kramaric, of Hoffenheim (seven goals). AFP -
Patrik Schick, of RB Leipzig (seven goals). AFP -
Goncalo Paciencia of Eintracht Frankfurt (seven goals). AFP -
Breel Embolo, of Borussia Moenchengladbach (seven goals). AFP -
Milot Rashica, of Werder Bremen (seven goals). AFP -
Philipp Max, of Augsburg (seven goals). AFP -
Nils Petersen, of Freiburg (eight goals). AFP -
Marcel Sabitzer, of Leipzig (eight goals). Reuters -
Philippe Coutinho, left, of Bayern Munich (eight goals). AFP -
Alassane Plea, of Borussia Monchengladbach (eight goals). AFP -
Erling Haaland, of Borussia Dortmund (nine goals). Getty -
Kevin Volland, of Bayer Leverkusen (nine goals). AFP -
Jhon Cordoba, of Cologne (10 goals). AFP -
Rouwen Hennings, of Fortuna Dusseldorf (11 goals). AFP -
Sebastian Andersson, Union Berlin (11 goals). AFP -
Wout Weghorst, of Wolfsburg (11 goals). AFP -
Marco Reus, centre, of Borussia Dortmund (11 goals). AFP -
Florian Niederlechner, of Augsburg (11 goals). AFP -
Serge Gnabry, of Bayern Munich (11 goals). AFP -
Robin Quaison, of Mainz (12 goals). AFP -
Jadon Sancho, of Borussia Dortmund (12 goals). Reuters -
Timo Werner, of RB Leipzig (21 goals). AFP -
Robert Lewandowski, of Bayern Munich (25 goals). Reuters
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“Step by step we were moved into bigger groups, still following the safety precautions. We had our first game between ourselves earlier this week. I think we are in the right way now to resume the league.”
For many football fans, one of the biggest arguments against the commencement of league matches has been the inescapable reality of games behind closed doors. And Collins admits to having contrasting emotions over fans' absence.
“Yes of course we all know fans are important,” he adds. “But the health of our fans is also important. So, the idea of not playing with the supporters is great, because they are humans, they are important, they all have families.
"It's good, the fans can watch at home, show their appreciation and everything. But at the end of the day, their health comes first.
“For me, I just focus on my football and the result on the field. When the crowd is there, it's lovely. But when the crowd is not there it’s all the same to me.
“The fans will always be loved and their support will always be appreciated. They push you to do even more for them because you know these people pay their money to come and watch you – you do two times more than you do normally on the field.”
New viewers
What the Bundesliga will be lacking in atmosphere this weekend it will gain in international attention, with countries as far as Brazil set to tune in.
With no other major football league close to resuming, the Bundesliga can expect a wave of new viewers this weekend – something the defender is relishing.
“For Germany to be the first major league in the world to start ... all eyes are on the league. When you turn on the TV it’s the German league that will be on. It will help the league. It will help the players, everyone."
The 25-year-old’s Paderborn side begin their return to action with a trip to Fortuna Dusseldorf this weekend, in a match that will go a long way to deciding the fate of the Bundesliga relegation places.
