COVID-19

Vieira: ‘Training has been modified while we wait

This Friday, following the announcement of the suspension of the French Ligue 1 championship ‘until further notice’ due to the Coronavirus epidemic, Patrick Vieira, Jean-Pierre Rivère and Doctor Jean-Philippe Gilardi (head of the OGC Nice medical service) held a special press conference to discuss the immediate consequences of this health crisis. Here are the statements of the OGC Nice coach on this subject.

‘we all have an important role to play in fighting this virus’

"The players are citizens first and foremost. They are of course worried, questioning everything we hear and read," explained Patrick Vieira. "The message was very clear from the doctor: they also have responsibilities in relation to their daily behaviour. They are aware of the situation. There are things to put in place to protect themselves and their families. We also reassured them about what we were putting in place here, so that they feel safe. We all have an important role to play in fighting this virus.”

a modified training schedule

The coach of Le Gym then explained: "Training will continue, as we don't yet have a date when the championship will resume. We have to continue training while taking precautions to ensure the best health of the players. We will train on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. It's a schedule which can also change at any time depending on how the situation develops and the information we have."

avoid physical contact

"For the time being, we're going to set up our training sessions to follow the medical recommendations and avoid physical contact as much as possible," the coach said. "Maybe we'll do more running. There will also be some personal work for the players when they are at home. When you are a top-level athlete, you have to continue to do a little physical work at home, to maintain your physical condition as long as possible. After that, you wait for the date, and everything can change quickly."