If Christophe Pélissier is bitter, he does not show it too much.
Failing to be able to constitute a group of 20 players during the last two days, the Merlus saw their matches postponed, successively against Dijon (January 17) and Nîmes (January 24).
After counting up to 13 contaminated players, the promoted, who has not set foot on a field since his defeat in Bordeaux on January 9 (2-1), barely comes out of the water.
“It circulated strongly here, between the players, the staff and the training center, testifies the captain Fabien Lemoine, himself spared by the virus.
Personally, what I dreaded at first was to bring something home.
Football was a bit secondary… ”And to get back into the mix, the Merlus are offered a very important match against Dijon, the 18th, which precedes them by three points in the standings.
"We did not undertake to postpone this match since the rule is simple and valid for everyone," explains the Lorient coach.
To know that it takes 20 players available to perform a match.
Saint-Etienne also paid the price
(Editor's note: defeats in Strasbourg 1-0 and ahead of Lyon 5-0 with a team reworked in the last two days)
.
Afterwards, in any regulation, there is the spirit and the letter.
I know the schedule is busy, but I think a game of this importance could have been placed elsewhere.
I regret that the authorities did not take it into account.
The championship is partly distorted by such programming.
"
👥 The group from Lorient for the match against @DFCO_Officiel tomorrow (9 p.m.) ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/3zPo4ddDHs
- FC LORIENT 🐟 (@FCLorient) January 26, 2021
From the point of view of the League, the urgency to reschedule late matches is understood.
Even more so in the context of the pandemic likely to lead to other postponements, or even a temporary or definitive suspension from the competition.
As relegated, does Pélissier feel a form of contempt in the treatment reserved for Lorient?
“Maybe…” he said, without leaning into paranoia.
Just as I find that we have often been refereed as “little ones”.
But, well… Saint-Etienne is also impacted and we can not say that it is a small club in history.
"
Sequence of nine or ten games in a month
However, in Lorient, the conditions for the recovery are incredible, in prospect of a match Wednesday night.
“Some resumed Sunday, others Monday and the last today
(Editor's note: this Tuesday)
only, underlines the coach.
In the middle of last week, we had eight pros on the field.
The young people from the training center went upstairs.
We adapted, we did small groups, individual covers, etc.
But athletically and tactically, the preparation is complicated.
"
Pélissier, whose team will follow up with PSG, Rennes, Reims Monaco and Lille, does not only have sporting concerns.
“There is a chain of nine or ten games in a month, at the rate of one every three days until February 28.
It would have been better to give these players at least a week of preparation.
In my opinion, their health is endangered ... "But for Lemoine, salvation now comes through play:" At some point, if you put in the heads of guys that it is normal that they are tired or that they are not marked because they had the Covid, we will not get out ... "