OPINION PIECE - It's finally here again! Professional football (soccer) returned last week for the first time in what felt like forever, with the German Bundesliga resuming its 2019/2020 season, and well, as a football fan I couldn't be happier.
First off, if you didn't read the headline in the same sense of rhythm and along the beat of the intro to Eminem's Without Me song, then I'm so sorry you missed out on a big part of mid-2000s pop culture. But, that's not why we're here.
We're here because sports fans have finally got what they've been craving for for as long as lockdowns have been in place around the world – the return of professional sport.
For the longest time there hasn't been any professional or amateur cricket, golf, hockey, football, tennis, rugby, and it's been tough on us die-hard sports fans. We had to resort to reliving past sporting events through highlights on YouTube or Facebook, or any social media platform where they might have been shared. A special thanks must go out to all of the sports associations out there who have actually streamed past matches in full to help keep us entertained.
But, no matter what, none of these options seemed to quite do the trick. Why? Well, because it's just not live sport. The thrill, the excitement, it's not there. You already know what's going to happen. It's like rewatching a movie – you enjoy it again, but it doesn't have the desired thrill effect as when you experienced it the first time.
This all changed, however, when earlier this month the German government permitted the resumption of the German Bundesliga on 16 May. Needless to say, when I got the news, I was giddier than a kid high on caffeine on a jumping castle. For those who aren't aware, the Bundesliga is one the Europe "Top 5" leagues – the others being the Premier League (England), Ligue 1 (France), La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy) – and while it doesn't have the same effect as having all of the leagues back in action, it's still great.
Ligue 1 is of course cancelled, and so is the Scottish Premiership (not one of the Top 5, but still fairly recognised), with Paris Saint-Germain and Celtic being awarded the respective titles. As a supporter of these two teams in their leagues I couldn't be happier, but it's sad to see the seasons end on such a note. This is another reason why I'm so chuffed to see the German Bundesliga return, because as a Bayern Munich supporter I can't wait to see them lift the title again (here's hoping I won't jinx it).
All that remains for me to really be satisfied is for the Premier League to return, where my heart lies with Manchester United, the team I support above all else. I can't wait to see us bag a top four position, even if it is at the expense of seeing Liverpool winning the title (which, to be fair, they richly deserve).
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