Will the thinning come from Lyon?
The Rhône prefecture is hosting a crucial meeting this Saturday morning for the near future of French sport.
Around the table: the prefect, the regional health agency Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes, the president of OL, Jean-Michel Aulas, his basketball and rugby counterparts and the Minister of Sports, Roxana Maracineanu.
The latter, as announced this Friday on France Info, is working there on the establishment of an experiment to allow the public to return to the stadiums in these times of pandemic.
Why Lyon?
Precisely for its concentration of elite clubs and its variety of venues: 60,000 seats at the Footballers' Groupama Stadium, up to 35,000 at the Matmut Stadium for the LOU rugbymen and 5,600 seats at the Astroballe for the basketball players. Asvel.
According to our information, the ministry is also looking for at least one other city to carry out these tests.
The approach is reminiscent of that of the Ministry of Culture, which will closely follow test concerts in Paris and Marseille.
"We are able to manage flows, to trace our spectators"
"It is a key subject for the survival of French sport," underlines the deputy president of Asvel, Gaëtan Müller.
We come to this meeting to be a force for proposals, to show that we are able to manage the flow, to trace our spectators and to ensure the distance in the stands.
"
For this possible second return of the public to the stadiums, after a brief opening from July to October, the Ministry of Sports will require "very specific protocols" to resume "in certain cities, in certain clubs", with a proportional gauge and according to the local epidemic situation.
"Allowing the public to return to the stadiums is also knowing how to refuse it when that is not possible," judge the senator (LR) from Isère, Michel Savin, who wanted this experiment to be set up.
For example, it would not be relevant to let Nice conduct such an experiment given its current health situation.
"
A negative PCR test to be able to enter a stadium?
In Lyon, OL offers a health protocol to accommodate up to 20,000 people, but rather expects to start the experiments with a gauge of 5,000. Asvel arrives with a recovery plan at 65% of its gauge .
Roxana Maracineanu will not come only to negotiate gauges, she who mentioned "QR codes to identify people who have been in contact" and "the possibility of making vaccines, tests".
“We can imagine asking our spectators for a PCR test lasting less than 48 hours,” describes the president of the Nantes Handball club, Gaël Pelletier.
He transmitted a recovery protocol that caught the attention of the ministry.
I would have no moral problem putting this in place.
Spectators must also be prepared to play the game. ”
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No schedule is set for the moment but the clubs hope that measures will be put in place to allow the public to return to the stadiums before the end of the season.