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Six Nations tournament: Galthié, a coach at the heart of the scandal

2021-02-25T17:04:46.158Z


Suspected of having broken the health bubble around the Blues, and caused a cluster which notably led to the postponement of France-Scotland, Fab


Isolated.

Tied up.

Worried too.

In their room that has become their cell, the Blues, all contacts since one of theirs, the pillar Uini Atonio, tested positive for the English variant of Covid-19 this Thursday morning, brood sadly.

Marcoussis, their training center in Essonne, has never worn its nickname Marcatraz so well ...

The silence becomes more and more heavy.

Those who left, driven out because they carried the virus, are not better off in their homes, fearing for their loved ones especially.

All the Habs are in low spirits.

So inevitably, tongues loosen, slowly but clearly, annoyed at first, angry then, accusing finally.

"Everything is falling apart because of those who should lead by example"

“We are making efforts every minute, we hear back in a loop.

And everything falls apart because of who?

Of those who should set an example… ”Or again:“ We told the guys that we had to keep our heads down and that everything would be fine.

And now they find themselves in the shit when they have applied what they have been asked.

"

A man is at the center of all thoughts.

Fabien Galthié, the coach, the savior of this XV of France that he has revived since he took it in hand a little over a year ago, has suddenly lost his aura.

The reproaches flare up, back from Marcoussis and elsewhere, and ricochet off its dark walls like the tireless echoes of incomprehension.

"In the group, there are some who are afraid of having infected their family"

Fabien Galthié would therefore have come out of the health bubble one evening, at the very beginning of the week leading to France-Ireland, on February 14, thus breaking the very strict protocol validated by the government.

However, the green light had been given to this Tournament for a long time in the hot seat only on the sole condition of compliance with the measures enacted.

Its fairly light behavior then, without real precautions, is also singled out.

“In the end, what are the consequences, launches someone close to the Blues?

The match against Scotland is postponed but we don't care.

The most serious thing is that it is about the health of the people.

And in the group, there are some who are really afraid of having infected their family and fragile people without knowing it because of this behavior.

"

A gifted trainer overtaken by his excess of individualism

A world has fallen apart for many of them.

Galthié, a gifted coach, so strong in shaping the game, but a manager often challenged in a club, considered cold, unaffected by others, would have been overtaken by his excess of individualism.

He would have acted with the Blues as at the Stade Français, in Montpellier, in Toulon itself, where he sometimes abandoned his players on the days of the Top 14 match to comment on those of the XV of France.

Or for the huge party given in Rio by Serge Kampf, former boss of Capgemini, on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

A broken trust contract with the players

Confidence seems seriously cracked today between this young, enthusiastic, hardworking group, ready to listen, to learn lessons, to comply with the toughest rules and their lonely leader.

“It's still a sport with 50% combat, huge sacrifices.

We know what it's like to be on an internship, even more so now.

We cannot imagine the intensity and violence.

It is very strong.

It takes a commando united like brothers.

But you can't stand a brother, especially the boss of the brothers, playing the stupid thing.

It is not possible.

The words are from Vincent Moscato, the former hooker, on his show on RMC.

Should he hand over?

Will he have sanctions?

Can this knife blow in the contract, this flaw in people's minds be repaired?

Beyond this Tournament which will be marked, whatever the result, with an indelible shadow, can the shepherd still hope to lead his flock without incident on the road to the 2023 World Cup?

Should he hand over?

"Time erases things in general and in sport often faster than elsewhere," says someone close to the FFR.

The problem is, everything happens very quickly now.

If the victories follow one another, it should be fine, but under these conditions it would be enough to one or two losses to throw everything down.

"

Mourad Boudjellal, the former president of Toulon, tries to come to the aid of a manager who had not met his expectations in the Var: "To train the XV of France, it is the objective of his life, he perhaps had a moment of bewilderment.

If Fabien's bullshit is true, the only question is whether it should correspond to sanctions.

I answer yes, no doubt.

After that, it remains to be seen at what level.

"If no health damage comes to tarnish this story a little more, the biggest penalty for him would be the distrust of his players, or even of his assistants.

An evil which would inevitably lead the Blues to failure.

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2021-02-25

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