Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Health

Empty stands will force Leipzig's Nagelsmann to mind his language

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Champions League - Round of 16 Second Leg - RB Leipzig v Tottenham Hotspur - Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany - March 10, 2020 RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann celebrates after the match REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo

RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann will have to pick his words carefully when he coaches his players in front of empty stands and hundreds of millions of television viewers as the Bundesliga becomes the first major league to restart on Saturday.

Nagelsmann's team host Freiburg and only 300 staff and officials will be in and around the stadium as the league resumes after a two-month stoppage amid a tight health framework to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection.

Players, who have been isolated for the past days, will not be allowed to shake hands or celebrate in groups while also having to refrain from spitting.

Nagelsmann's usually vocal coaching will also be audible across the globe due to a lack of background noise.

"The microphones are on, the volume in the stadium will be different," Nagelsmann said in a video news conference on Thursday.

"And I will be better heard than before. I will try to behave in a socially acceptable way in the box and things I usually say maybe say them in a lower voice or even not at all."

The 32-year-old, the youngest ever Bundesliga coach, also does not know how goal celebrations will look, with players told to keep their distance as part of safety measures.

"The players no doubt will have thought of something. But we first must score the goals and then we can think about the celebrations," Nagelsmann said.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Toby Davis)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.