The days go by and look the same. After the tests carried out on Monday “due to symptoms” the press release said, FC Chambly has recorded four new positive cases for the British variant of Covid-19. They are goalkeeper Simon Pontdemé and midfielders Cyril Zabou, Joachim Eickmayer and Jonathan Beaulieu. With the previous five (defender Oumar Gonzalez and midfielders John Popelard, Sébastien Flochon, Shaquil Delos), the Picard workforce is wiped out by nearly a third of its members. To this, we must also add the three members of the technical staff (Florent Routier, Gaharo Doucouré and Kevin Denicourt) and a member of the management (Maxime Malovry). This means that Chambly currently has 13 positive cases for Covid-19 across its club.
The holding of Saturday’s match against Clermont is therefore hanging by a thread. For the match of the 24th day of Ligue 2 to be held, the Camblysiens must no longer have new players affected by the virus. Indeed, from the 11th contaminated player within the same team, the LFP is required to postpone the meeting as it indicated in its health protocol at the start of the season.
In its press release, FC Chambly, which remains the only Ligue 2 team to be affected by the epidemic, admits “worrying about what happens next when, to field a team at the weekend, the rest of the group continues to train with potentially the risk of being contaminated. “And to specify:” We can see it, this variant is very contagious. “
Despite the strengthening of the precautions taken by the club, the transmission chain continues to be very active. Other tests must take place this Wednesday but the meeting next Saturday seems already well compromised.
The club cancels all U5 coaches to the senior reserve
The multiplication of cases in the Oise club poses a risk to the opponents faced last week by Chambly, starting with the last two Sochaux and Châteauroux. On the side of these two clubs, for the moment, no case of covid-19 has been detected.
Through its doctor, Dr Philippe Bourlet, the club asked the LFP to express its concerns. “The League told us that as long as there were not 11 proven cases, the meeting against Clermont was not postponed”, indicates Thierry Bertrand, the general manager of the club.
The club has further extended its internal health protocol by canceling all U5 coaches from the senior reserve team. Even the professionals did not train on Tuesday. “We don’t want to take any risks,” confirms the CEO.
The League does not plan to change its protocol
The big concern of the Camblysian leaders goes even beyond the next meeting against Clermont. “The only player who was absent for a week with covid-19 is Thibault Jaques, affected by the first strain of the virus. For the others, that is to say the nine currently sick players, one can ask the question of their return. For some like Oumar Gonzalez, it has been positive for two weeks now. We discover that the English variant is both more contagious but also causes a longer downtime. In short, it looks complicated for the next few weeks. What will we do if a large part of the workforce is unavailable for several weeks in a row? In addition to the fatigue linked to the disease and the lack of training, we are at risk of being very weak when the recovery takes place. It is all these questions that Chambly addressed to the LFP, which for the moment, takes refuge behind its initial health protocol.
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Should the LFP review its copy when all it takes is a single case of an English variant of covid-19 to cause the closure of an entire school? Chambly boss Fulvio Luzi does not want to enter into this debate. “Let things be very clear,” he says. We have complete confidence in the LFP and in the State. We are not doctors and we will follow the rules. For us, there is no question of falling into demagoguery or populism. We will follow the instructions to the letter. “
For his second season in Ligue 2, the little Poucet Picard accumulates handicaps (smaller budget with 7.5 M €, home game in Beauvais, stoppage of work for the construction of his stadium and now the Covid-19 which is raging in these ranks). Despite everything, the club remains in the race for maintenance, thanks to its place of barrage. Given the current circumstances, this is already a huge achievement …
Article original de: www.leparisien.fr
