THE German Bundesliga is set to return next weekend, becoming the first of Europe’s high-profile leagues to take to the pitch during the coronavirus crisis.
If it is a success, the move will be seen as an example for other leagues to follow, but this return to the pitch isn’t a return to football as we know it.
The game will be much weaker in the supporters’ absence, and the power of fans at the game, especially in Germany, will be there for all to see in these empty facilities where games will be played over the coming months.
JAMES NALTON takes a look at the German league’s move to grow its audience in Britain, and around the future of football on TV in general
With climate change, commercial overload and endless fixtures, footballers are being pushed to breaking point. It’s time their unions became a more powerful, unified force, writes JAMES NALTON



