Sports fans around the world let out a sigh of relief this weekend as Bundesliga returned to our TV screens.
Football has been missing from all our lives since the pandmeic hit and with its return, the German Government put in stringent safety protocols in place.
Players were told to avoid contact while playing, especially when celebrating goals. However, a post-goal celebration irked many and resulted in a heated debate on social media.
Hertha Berlin’s Marko Grujic was kissed on the cheek by team-mate Dedryck Boyata on Saturday after their side took the lead in a 3-0 win against Hoffenheim.
German politician Markus Soeder later issued a statement that he expected the league to “tighten up” instructions on how to celebrate goals.
However, Boyata later clarified that he was passing instructions to Grujic while they were getting ready for a set-piece.
Boyota posted a video of the incident on Instagram and apologised for his gesture. “I apologize for putting my hands on (Grujic’s) face,” Boyata wrote, adding that “it wasn’t a kiss” or “a celebration” when he grabbed the Serbia midfielder.
However, other footballers have lept to his defence.
“Watching the return of football I wonder, is there any technical reason to ban hugs after goals,” the former Monaco, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid’s Radamel Falcao asked on Twitter.
The Hertha Berlin coach Bruno Labbadia added: “I hope people understand this. It is only a recommendation to hold back.
“We have tested negative six times, most recently yesterday. Emotions are also a part of it.”
— Radamel Falcao (@FALCAO) May 16, 2020
“We are in constant contact throughout the entire game. At a free-kick the defenders are all over you! In a wall they are all together.”
Fabregas also took to Twitter to say: “You can’t celebrate goals together? Didn’t know this one.
You can’t celebrate goals together? Didn’t know this one.
— Cesc Fregas Soler (@cesc4official) May 16, 2020
