LIKE many sports fans across the world, I will be looking forward to the resumption of the Bundesliga in Germany this weekend.

Germany’s top two professional football leagues will be the first major sporting leagues to restart their competitions post-Covid-19, although the fear of coronavirus is far from over.

One of the most famous aspects of the Bundesliga is its supporters, with attendances among the highest of any football league in the world.

But while Borussia Dortmund’s normally full 81,365-capacity Westfalenstadion ground is usually home to the famous Yellow Wall of supporters, comprising 25,000 fans in just one brightly coloured stand, that will not be the case this weekend.

Instead, Lucien Favre’s side will welcome local rivals Schalke in the eagerly anticipated Revierderby on Saturday afternoon in front of precisely zero supporters.

This is just one a raft of measures aimed at ensuring the safety of everyone involved and shielding them from the coronavirus, with police on patrol outside stadiums during games and regular player testing also among the special procedures, while all Bundesliga clubs have been in quarantine in the week leading up to the big return.

Germany has been largely better off than their western European neighbours, with Covid-19 deaths in the country totalling less than a quarter of the UK’s, although the virus reproduction rate, or the R rate, in the country has gone above one for three straight days this week.

Nonetheless, all footballing eyes will be on Germany this weekend – especially those of the likes of the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and other major sporting leagues across the world.

Subject to each country’s own government’s rulings, several leagues are hoping to return to action in June, with the Premier League and La Liga both aiming for a June 12 return, with Italy’s Serie A looking to return a day later.

They will be keen to see how successful German football’s return is this weekend as they look to further the preparation ahead of their own restarts, with many clubs and leagues’ fears over player safety, virus testing procedures and supporter congregation set to be put to the test this weekend.

While the intrigue surrounding the big return will be huge, many football fans will just be relieved to have something to watch again, and there is no doubt that the return of live football on television will give several people a significant mental boost.

Leicester City’s 4-0 win at home to Aston Villa on Monday, March 9 was the last major top-level football game to be televised in the UK, precisely 68 days before Saturday’s Bundesliga games.

Since then we have all have our lives turned upside down, whether it be by being unable to see loved ones, being furloughed from our jobs or just being stuck at home.

The return to live sport will at least go some way to giving some of the population a bit of a lift and show that some aspects of what we knew as normal pre-pandemic can and will still return to our lives.