He's not too far away, but far enough: Relatively close in distance, because Düsseldorf is 1200km from Nice and 300km from northern France where he comes from. Germany, though, is not in lockdown — unlike much of the rest of the planet — during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now a star at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Alassane Plea is continuing on the trajectory started on the Côte d'Azur, and told us he still has great memories of Le Gym, "the club of my heart".

Alassane, how are things?
We had to stop on 23 March due to a government ruling. We'd been training in small groups of six or seven before that. In between times, the club said we shouldn't see other people or travel. So we had to stay at home most of the time. I'm not on my own, I live with my girlfriend. Of course I'm missing being out on the pitch. Like players the world over, we have a training programme, we're working hard, but it's not the same [since the interview, Gladbach have announced a return to training behind closed doors and in small groups; see tweet below].

The Foals will return to training in small groups today, following strict hygiene guidelines and precautions laid out by the health department https://t.co/qDrm4LjLps#DieFohlen pic.twitter.com/4ohg6ND8hz

— Gladbach (@borussia_en) April 6, 2020

How are you staying in touch with the club?
We're in constant contact, and not only with the sporting side of things. All members of the club have an account on an app, the coach and the president too. That's where we see any important messages, the instructions to follow based on how the situation is developing. That's also where we get our training programme. That means we don't miss anything important and we're always connected to each other.

More generally, how is Germany handling this crisis?
It's not the same situation as in France. The state hasn't declared a lockdown. Certain shops and restaurants have closed, but you can go and walk in the park, and you don't have a time limit or have to fill out a declaration. As people are disciplined and serious, you don't see a lot of people outside. The message of staying at home as much as possible has been heard.

« I SPEAK TO Malang, Wylan, Adri' »

You must follow what's going on in France too...
Of course, I'm watching what happens in France closely, it can't be easy. I've always got family and friends on the phone. I also speak to Malang [Sarr], Wylan [Cyprien] and even Adri' [Tameze], it's hard for him in Bergamo. My family and friends are all well, but there are a lot of people who have been infected and it's shocking to see the number of victims. I hope with all my heart that it'll stop as soon as possible.

Before this enforced break, things were going well…
That's not the most important thing right now it has to be said. But of course it's bizarre to stop a season at that moment. We were coming to the business end when everything was to be decided. There are ten games left, our ambitions are still alive. We don't know when the league will start again, right now it's scheduled for 30 April. We'll see and adapt.

There are four teams in the battle for the Champions League places with Bayern a little bit ahead in the race for the title [Gladbach are in fourth, six points behind league leaders Bayern]. Nothing has been decided. Last year, we just missed out. This time, I hope we'll do it.

On the pitch, I'm loving it [he's scored eight league goals and registered seven assists this season]. It's crazy in Germany, a different culture. The stadiums are full, the aim of the game is to score more than your opponent. It's going off all over the place, you play on the front foot. I've also had the honour of being called up by France, that did me a lot of good and gave me the desire to keep going.

It follows on from your great performances for Nice...
I started at Lyon, but I really came to the fore at Nice…Le Gym is still the club of my heart, and as our games aren't on at the same time, I watch Nice play a lot. Sometimes, there's a bit of nostalgia, I miss the life there, even if I don't regret my choice. I was supposed to go there on holiday, but it didn't happen, but I'll come back before too long. Take care of yourselves, and I'll see you soon!

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