Bundesliga
Plea: "We're preparing a few new celebrations"
With the Bundesliga set to return this coming weekend, players and clubs have been back in team training preparing to continue the season. At Borussia Mönchengladbach, Alassane Plea and his teammates have even been working on celebrations where they don't come into contact with one another.
Plea is the Foals' top scorer in the Bundesliga this season with eight goals, as well as assisting seven more in his 22 appearances in the league so far.
As well as being the title-chasing side's leading marksman, the Frenchman has also become chief celebration orchestrator at Gladbach ahead of the Bundesliga's return. Group celebrations have been prohibited during the coronavirus pandemic, so Plea and his teammates have been getting creative.
"We miss football, it's our life and so it's good to start again," Plea told Sport Bild. "We're ready and happy to start playing again. We've been speaking about celebrations. We can't jump on each other, so we'll do it differently. We'll prepare a few little celebrations."
As well as not being able to celebrate together, the Bundesliga's return will be without fans, which brings an uncommon element to the football that will be played. Gladbach experienced that first-hand when they beat Rhinederby rivals Cologne in a re-arranged Matchday 21 fixture.
Watch: Gladbach's 2-1 win over Cologne behind closed doors
"Playing behind closed doors will make a big difference, the fans are very important in Germany," Plea said. "We'll be the only ones allowed to play again and so a lot of people will be watching."
Gladbach currently sit fourth in the table, six points off the pace set by Bayern Munich at the top of the standings. Plea and his teammates are back in action on Saturday evening when they travel to face Eintracht Frankfurt.