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German soccer falls silent as 'ghost games' begin

The Bundesliga season resumed Saturday without spectators.
Credit: Sascha Schuermann/AFP pool via AP
Footballs are disinfected during the Bundesliga soccer match between Duesseldorf and Paderborn in the Merkur Spiel-Arena, Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, May 16, 2020. The German Bundesliga becomes the world's first major soccer league to resume after a two-month suspension because of the coronavirus pandemic.

DORTMUND, Germany — German soccer is normally a riot of color and noise but not during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Bundesliga season resumed Saturday with what German fans call “ghost games,” which are played without spectators.

In Dortmund it was hard to tell that the city’s beloved team, Borussia Dortmund, was playing at all. Police relaxed as it became clear that fans wouldn’t gather outside and potentially spread the virus.

Players tried to keep contact to a minimum, even during celebrations and the traditional salute to the now empty stands at the final whistle.

Dortmund beat Schalke 4-0 in a game keenly watched by the rest of the soccer world.

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