Months away and live action sports made a comeback to the airwaves this past weekend with the German Bundesliga kick-starting the return of European football following the lockdowns due to coronavirus.
The first goal in over 2 months was scored by Borussia Dortmund’s young striker Erling Braut Haaland in the 29th minute of their home game against crosstown rivals Schalke at Signal Iduna Park.
This wasn't just a game. It was the making of history, marking the rise of a new dawn after sportspersons were forced to stay indoors in the last few months thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. The game might have seen the return of footballers on the pitch, but it had a greater significance off it as life seems to slowly crawl back to normalcy after the pandemic brought it to a standstill.
Five matches were played on Saturday with Dortmund headlining the Super Saturday against Schalke, recording a comprehensive 4-0 victory at home. The silence inside the stadium was deafening as crowd chants was replaced by voice of managers shouting instructions to their respective players. But then, even this would have seemed a dream a few weeks back when life was at risk even if you stepped out of your house.
Manasi Gopalakrishnan reports for The Quint from Germany as she and her family go out to a nearby bar to watch the Saturday fixtures.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)