Daniel Avellaneda
08/10/2020 - 21:24
- Clarín.com
- sports
Players distributed on a court divided into six, each occupying a space separated by tapes. Technicians wearing chinstraps or monitoring field work from an office. Locker rooms closed and triple shift. Images, after all, of the first step for the return of Argentine football. After 145 days, 13 of the 24 teams from the Professional League plus Tigre, representative of the First National that participates in the Copa Libertadores, were able to start with face-to-face practices. At the peak of the coronavirus in the country, it is true. Although there was no longer any margin: Conmebol established the start of the Cup calendar for September 15, TV also pressured waiting for the domestic tournament for after spring andthe bodies of the footballers, deteriorated by the quarantine, asked for grass.
Look also
The photos of the training sessions in Argentine soccer that return under a strict protocol
Four of the big five were the spearhead. River, Boca, San Lorenzo -all in the morning- and Racing -in the afternoon- started with the training sessions. Independiente will only do it this Tuesday in Villa Domínico. Lanús, Banfield, Atlético Tucumán, Talleres, Defensa y Justicia, Godoy Cruz, Colón, Unión and Vélez also kicked off. Argentinos planned to start this Monday, but the results of the tests were delayed and decided to postpone the resumption of face-to-face tasks for 24 hours. Huracán, Gimnasia, Estudiantes, Rosario Central, Newell's and Central Córdoba will also start this Tuesday. Patronato and Arsenal will start on Thursday. Aldosivi would return next week.
Ezeiza was the epicenter of football. River, Boca and San Lorenzo trained right there. The Cyclone could not use the Sports City because it is prepared as a field hospital to assist the inhabitants of the 1-11-14 village. That is why the AFA lent him the property where the National Team works. Racing, on the other hand, did not get up early. In the afternoon he performed at the Tita Mattiussi de Avellaneda estate. The day left many peculiarities.
The Doll, in action
After 8 o'clock, as the players from the first training session arrived at River Camp, they were subjected to rapid tests and PCR. The youth goalkeeper Ezequiel Centurión was not present, who on Friday was swabbed and tested positive for Covid-19; Juan Fernando Quintero and Robert Rojas, who arrived from Colombia and Paraguay and are quarantining; and Matías Suárez, isolated in Córdoba because in the country where he lives there were cases of coronavirus. The first strong news of the morning was that Gonzalo Montiel tested positive.
Gallardo was the first to arrive and divided the squad into six groups and three shifts. Two of the seven fields of the property were used. "Stations" were made and the work was individual in a cubicle in the field. With a bottle of water, a mat and a ball for each. Physical-technical exercises were carried out. The only one who trained differently was Benjamin Rolheiser because he continues to recover from the torn cruciate ligament in his left knee that he suffered in February.
Tato Montes, goalkeeping coach, and teacher Marcelo Tulvobitz did not participate in the practice because they were in an age group at risk. The same happened with the props Pichi Quiroga, Colo Scarpelli and Manuel Tula, replaced by colleagues from the Reserve.
Gallardo was active. He walked around the property. He spun. I look. But he did not enter the fields or participate in training. He was an observer.
Russo followed him from the dining room
Frank Fabra, on the return to training. (Photo: Boca Press)
Boca was also divided into six groups. The coach followed all the actions with a panoramic view from the dining room of the premises, located on the first floor of module 3 of the Ezeiza site. At 64 years old, and having overcome cancer, he must take extreme care and supervise from afar.
The coaching staff, once the first two weeks are completed, wants to hold a concentration in a hotel near the sports complex to work in a "bubble" format, such as the MLS and NBA teams in the US.
Until now, the only positive case that was registered in the establishment was that of the youth Agustín Almendra. In the afternoon, the news was known that former leader César Martucci had also been infected with Covid-19.
With Soso and the presence of Tinelli
Marcelo Tinelli, next to Soso in the return of the practices of San Lorenzo.
Mariano Soso arrived almost at dawn. And there was a special visit: President Marcelo Tinelli.
The brand new coach had at his disposal 30 players divided into seven bubbles spread over three fields and at staggered schedules.
Those absent were Jonathan Herrera, who is in quarantine since his wife tested positive for Covid-19; Franco Di Santo and Diego Rodríguez, two who returned from abroad; and the brothers Ángel and Oscar Romero, who will still remain in Paraguay practicing on their own while it is decided when they will hit the lap. In addition, Alexis Castro will return from Mexico in the next few days and will also join.
Racing, at full speed
At 3 o'clock he trained at Tita and although the work had been planned, it could not be from the party Martín Bressan. The physical trainer tested positive for Covid-19 and had to be isolated with three other players. At night the contagion of the kinesiologist Rosendo Regueiro was also known.
Sebastián Beccacece distributed the groups and each one of his collaborators occupied a station.
Other pearls
Luis Zubeldia led the Lanús practice on a mangrullo and with a megaphone. Sand arrived from Corrientes.
Juan Manuel Azconzábal could not attend his first training session in Unión because he is doing his third isolation! First in Chile (he went to Antofagasta), then in La Plata (where he resides) and now in Santa Fe.
In Banfield the players went through a sanitizing booth before entering the courts.
Diego Martínez directed his first practice in Godoy Cruz.
Mauricio Pellegrino did the same in Vélez and with Fernando Gago, who is recovering from another hard injury.
FK