Berlin (AFP)

Marked by the 8th consecutive success of Bayern Munich, the 2019-2020 Bundesliga will go down in history as that of the crisis of the new coronavirus, and of the messages of the great clubs against racism, after the death of George Floyd in the United States.

Five highlights of an exceptional season:

November: Munich humiliated, Kovac ejected

On November 2, Bayern Munich, already in bad shape, was humiliated 5-1 on the lawn of Frankfurt. The "Rekordmeister" had not conceded 5 goals in the Bundesliga for more than 10 years. The locker room executives released coach Niko Kovac, who was sacked the next day. Once again, Bayern is having a fall crisis.

And once again, the rebound is spectacular. The new trainer, Hansi Flick, does wonders. Munich is champion, will play the cup final on July 4, and is one of the favorites for the Champions League in August.

Autumn: The return of Mönchengladbach

Rival of Bayern in the 1970s, Mönchengladbach has only been an average power of German football for decades. But the "Foals" managed a thunderous start to the season, settling in first place in the ranking from the 7th day. They stay there until the beginning of December (14th day), for almost two months.

The architect of this exceptional season is coach Marco Rose, who has set up a formidable duo of French attackers: the experienced Alassane Pléa (27) and the "rookie" Marcus Thuram - son of Lilian Thuram - who was at 22 years of the revelations of the season in Germany. They scored ten goals each.

Borussia is rewarded by winning fourth place in extremis, synonymous with qualification for the Champions League.

January: phenomenal Haaland

At the beginning of January, the 19-year-old Norwegian prodigy Erling Braut Haaland disembarks in Dortmund, coming from RB Salzburg.

For his first two games as a joker, he achieves a triple and a double! No player before him had scored five goals in their first two Bundesliga games. Even less in 59 minutes, a goal every 12 minutes.

Since then, he has kept pace: 16 achievements in 18 matches, all competitions combined.

He also dazzled Europe in the Champions League, scoring 10 goals with Salzburg and Dortmund. He is, among other things, the first player under the age of twenty to have scored in his first five C1 matches, and the third youngest author of a hat-trick in the competition.

March: coronavirus

On March 11, Mönchengladbach receives Cologne in a late match. It is the first closed-door match in 57 years of Bundesliga history. But it is also the last before the total interruption of football, for the first time since the Second World War, due to the epidemic of new coronavirus.

Germany will then succeed in the feat of being the first major league to resume, from May 16, without spectators and respecting an extremely rigorous health protocol.

Despite the opposition and fears of the doctors, the "re-start operation" was a success. Thanks to the quasi-military organization of the German League (DFL), and to the discipline of clubs, players and fans, who remain wisely in front of their televisions and renounce any gathering.

May: "Black Lives Matter"

Hundreds of thousands of protesters in the United States and around the world speak out against racism and police violence after the death of George Floyd, an African American killed by police in Minneapolis.

On May 30 and 31, black footballers from Germany were the first athletes to publicly show their support. First individually, with "Black Lives Matter" t-shirts or armbands. Or by kneeling on the ground to celebrate a goal, as Marcus Thuram (Mönchengladbach) did spectacularly on May 31.

A week later, the big clubs follow. Bayern players wear a "Black Lives Matter" armband, those of Dortmund and Hertha Berlin pose knee-down before their match. Other clubs broadcast anti-racist videos.

A few days later, the Borussia Mönchengladbach said he was "flabbergasted" by the avalanche of hateful comments which swept over his site and his social networks, following his messages of tolerance.

© 2020 AFP