Social Distancing: Fans react as German Bundesliga returns amid coronavirus crisis (photos)

As fans are excited with the return of football in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, some are having mixed reactions as regards social distancing and its possibility in the game.

Bundesliga returned to action making it the first league to restart in Europe after games were suspended due to the ravaging coronavirus crisis.

Borussia Dortmund’s encounter against Shalke 04 was billed to bring back the sparks, and as expected, the BVB fired from all cylinders to wallop their opponents 4-0.

https://twitter.com/RhysDavies110/status/1261675842691874816

Erling Haaland continued his goal scoring form since he joined Dortmund and the global pandemic did not seem to slow down the Norwegian striker.

The 19-year-old picked up from he left off as he became the first player to score in the Bundesliga after the coronavirus break which lasted for over two months. Haaland opened the scoring in Dortmund’s whitewash of city rivals Schalke 04 in an empty Signa Iguna Park.

Right on the stroke of half-time, Julian Brandt provided the second for Raphael Guerreiro to make it 2-0 to the Yellow Canaries.

Four minutes after the restart Hazard finally got his name on the scoresheet as he scored from another Brandt’s assist to make it 3-0.

Guerreiro completed his brace to wrap up the scoring as he finished from a Halaand’s assist to earn a 4-0 win for his side.

However fans were left reeling as coronavirus prevention guidelines were seen on several occasions. It was earlier stated that players will not celebrate goals with team-mates.

While players maintained social distancing after each goal as they celebrate metres apart, the shocking moment was in the 5th minute when Shalke had an opportunity from a freekick at the edge of the area.

The home team players formed a wall of players where social distancing was ‘ignored’

“Train together all week, will get on the pitch & make body contact with other players, will form freekick walls, but yeah; social distancing on the bench even after getting tested before & after games.

“Football administrators are a band of merry m*rons,” a fan tweeted.

Another wrote: “Why is there social distancing in celebrations, when there is no social distancing in freekick walls?”

Social distancing sat on the bench yet all stood together in a wall whilst defending a free kick. Yep, that makes sense 🤷‍♂️

— Dr Alan Tonge 🐝💙🇾🇪🦁🦁🦁✝️ (@Alan_Tonge) May 16, 2020

Meanwhile, ngnews247.com earlier reported that the FA chiefs are considering a resumption of the Premier League and are now planning to provide coronavirus testing materials at match venues to get games on TV.

Premier League teams have gradually returned to training ahead of a breathtaking four to five-week fixtures which will see the 2019/2020 season concluded before August.