Soccer Leagues Around The World Prepare For Return

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Austrian soccer is back up and running and around the world, other leagues have started or will begin soon.

June 7 presents an interesting match up between RZ Pellets vs. LASK. LASK were top of the Austrian Bundesliga before the lockdown, but they broke COVID-19 training regulations and were docked six points. They now sit at third.

RZ Pellets are second and RB Salzburg are first. The German Bundesliga is in full swing and brilliant.

Up next: #FCSB04

A win on Tuesday would send us to our first DFB Pokal final since 2009! pic.twitter.com/MDbqA06TZi

— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) June 8, 2020

The pick of the bunch is Saturday’s Bayer Leverkusen vs. Bayern Munich on FS1. Spain (June 11 restart) with the Seville derby to kick things off on June 11, Sevilla vs. Real Betis (heart eye emoji). England is also not too far behind (June 17 restart) and Italy (June 20 restart).

In the latest round of COVID-19 tests for the Premier League, 1197 were run on players and club staff, with one positive result coming back. These are incredibly encouraging results following what has been a tough few months.

There is no timeline for the vaccine that could possibly make the world more normal, but the measures taken by professional leagues around the world have at least helped sports get back up and running.

Without a vaccine, what are the steps to getting fans, the global force behind teams, back into the stadiums? I’m not into the pumped fake crowd noise through my speakers during the games. I know there are bigger concerns right now, but if I had to choose between “fake crowd” noise vs. no additional sounds, I’d rather hear the players and coaches as it’s a unique experience for all avid soccer viewers and wannabe players and coaches.

Status Of Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA) came to an agreement with the Collective Bargaining Agreement this week. This agreement will run through 2025.

.@MLS is making its move. https://t.co/yuukD5DVWz

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 4, 2020

The threat of a lockout was thrown about and seemed a very real possibility, but as the two sides went back and forth, and the deadline passed they came to an agreement. The most immediate result of the agreement is that all the MLS clubs will travel to Orlando, Florida later this month for a six-week tournament that will allow teams to hunker down and safely isolate on location in designated hotels.

Less travel will allow teams to turn around games faster and ESPN will televise the games. MLS is massaging their relationship with ESPN as the TV deal is potentially renewed in a couple of years.

English Premier League Status

Some of the initial first full weekends of English Premier League fixtures were released this week. A massive one is for Father’s Day, the Merseyside derby, Everton vs. Liverpool at Goodison Park. If the results go Liverpool’s way, they could potentially wrap up the title the first weekend back. I couldn’t ask for a better Father’s Day gift!

Throw in Spurs vs. Manchester United and it’s a mouth-watering prospect as the EPL is back up and firing.

One last thing, if you are a social media fan and aren’t already following him, begin to follow Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford. What he has done recently for his local community is not only a credit to himself, but to his family and club. During the lockdown of the pandemic, he helped raise 20 million pounds to help the vulnerable. As a kid, he relied on hot meals at school. He realized that a lot of kids are in the same boat as he was when he was younger. Manchester is one of the poorer cities in England with almost 36 percent of children under the age of 16 living in poverty.

Flying into Friday like…💥 pic.twitter.com/2LxUmJzZ8d

— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) June 5, 2020

He is also using his social media to reach out to the vulnerable. During this lockdown, he has used his influence for good. I’ve never really used an athlete as a moral compass for myself, but seeing 22-year-old Rashford give up his time and use his influence for good is just one of the many cases of positive actions being shown by athletes during this difficult social shutdown.

Next week we’ll talk a little more about Bundesliga and La Liga as everything ramps up to finishing the title races around Europe and of course more discussions about the return of the EPL and Serie A just a week after La Liga’s return.

Until then, stay safe.