It is 6 p.m. in this amateur club in the Paris region.
Masked, the players arrive for the training session.
The staff take their temperature with a forehead thermometer.
Then, the warm-up begins, with running and little conservation games.
But very quickly, training continued in small groups with players who came closer and closer ... Due to the recommendations of the government which authorized a resumption of amateur sport but "without contact", many coaches explain to us that 'we had to “adapt the sessions and reinvent ourselves”.
In fact, the absence of contacts seems very difficult to apply.
On condition of anonymity, most of the coaches and players contacted admit to us "train as before, normally ..." "Those who will tell you the opposite are liars, we discuss between players from different clubs, we know how it works. going elsewhere, explains an amateur footballer.
I simply think that it is not possible to adapt these measures.
Football is a contact sport.
Without contact, it is no longer football.
I don't see the point of continuing collective sessions if it's just to do contactless… ”
"I am uncompromising on health rules"
An opinion shared by this coach: “If we bring in the players just to run on the track and pass each other, they will come once and the next time, they will stay at home, warm, he considers.
Already with the curfew, we have a shortened window… In some clubs, they can only train once a week, so as much as it is interesting.
Me, at one point, they all ask me:
Coach, we play a little game…
The period is difficult for everyone.
Sport is an escape route.
They need to work hard to forget.
Afterwards, I am uncompromising on the sanitary rules, the frost, the temperature measurement.
I put on a layer before and after each workout.
"
“With us, we have had more than ten cases so we are vigilant, adds another coach.
We train normally but be careful.
We train behind closed doors and without contact with the rest of the club.
For players, the contact in session is no different from the contact they have when saying hello.
“In many clubs, the municipalities have also closed the locker rooms.
The players change in their cars or at home.
For them, the need to be on the ground is stronger than the possible risks.
“The risk is very present but the desire to practice his passion is largely over, said the striker.
It is the will of all players of our level to continue training without restrictions.
"But they nevertheless admit being" very vigilant ".
"We are adults, responsible for some of the families," said another player.
Me, I don't feel like I'm taking risks by training normally.
We respect all barrier gestures.
If a player turns out to have symptoms or is positive, they are immediately sidelined and confined.
As with the pros.
"
"We are there to supervise and educate them"
For this coach, "the risk is greater in their daily life than training on a stadium".
“They take transport, go to work or to school, it's even more dangerous,” he continues.
We are there to supervise and educate them.
"While the reserves and young teams of professional clubs, they have the authorization to play friendly matches, among amateurs, many denounce" this difference in treatment ".
“When the decision to resume the season is made, no one will ask our opinion,” concludes a coach.
We know that ideally we would need 4 weeks of preparation but we know that they will not grant them to us.
So we have to keep the pace.
And how do you keep the pace?
By playing games. Nothing replaces confrontation.
If we weren't training normally right now, the risk of injury would be even greater on the restart.
All that is a great hypocrisy!
"