5000 people in the stadiums from August? Maracineanu doesn't say no

Any gathering of more than 5000 people prohibited until September? This is what Edouard Philippe announced last week, during the presentation of the government deconfinement plan before the National Assembly. "At least until September", had in fact explained the Prime Minister from the "perch" of the Bourbon palace. Except that the hope of seeing several thousand spectators populate the stands of the stadiums of France and Navarre from August is, in the end, not excluded. This is in any case what explained the Minister of Sports, Roxana Maracineanu, this Tuesday on the set of the chain  L'Equipe. Asked to comment on the hypothesis of a return of supporters to football stadiums in September, the former swimmer corrected: "Even in August! You talk to me about September, but I say "even in August". If the pandemic allows it, if we do not come back to this figure of 5000 and then especially if it is authorized to have less than 5000 people gathered, it will be possible from the beginning of August. ”

Ligue 1 returns on August 22 and 23 "at the latest"

Recall that, as far as football is concerned, the LFP announced the end of the 2019-20 season last Thursday. With the hope of starting the next exercise on August 22 and 23 "at the latest". Or even play the cup finals, France and the League, in early August if the health situation allows. All while several European championships are seriously considering the idea of ​​resuming in the coming weeks. In Germany, the authorities must even give the green light on Wednesday for a recovery in May…

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We are therefore far from it in France. Note that the UEFA project is, a priori, to contest the end of the 2019-20 European Cups in August. This concerns Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais, still in the running in the Champions League. Concerning the 5000 people in the stadiums in August, Roxana Maracineanu adds: "But today, we are doing" projection fiction "since we don't know at all how the curve of the pandemic will evolve in when all the French, half or a quarter of the French, will come out on May 11 to go to work ... Freedom has been given to all companies to return to work by continuing telework and to resume gradually. It is also the same instruction that was given to us, that is to gradually resume the activity of our sector. ”

"The virus does not give anyone certainty"

Cautiously, the minister reminds that “the virus does not give anyone any certainty. Including the highest state health experts. So it is certainly not me who will give you any more than specific dates ... We are trying to close as few doors as possible so that the economic sector can live on its own as quickly as possible. " Which leads Ms. Maracineanu to take the maximum of precautions. "Events, sport-spectacle, will resume when it can resume," she summarizes. Precautions that apply for example also to the Tour de France and Roland-Garros, scheduled for September: "It is too early to say if it will take place on the dates proposed."

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Regarding football, we begin to consider the hypothesis of a 2020-21 season entirely contested behind closed doors in England. And in France, when will full stadiums return for national and European competitions? “My job as minister is not to have an intimate conviction but to coordinate the different scenarios that are not offered, to make them all possible as far as possible, eludes the Minister of Sports. Today, I am working with my colleagues from other departments so that we organize ourselves as well as possible and that we do not contradict our decisions in each sector. We all have a common desire: that the health of the French is preserved, that life is the priority in all our sectors, and that the economy can recover little by little so that the country is not too penalized at the end of this crisis . We will do it, as the Prime Minister said, step by step, step by step. If you have to go down a step, you will. If you have to climb two steps because you can afford it, you will. ” In the meantime, it is urgent to wait.

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