Rodez. Will the Covid distort everything?

THEdo not intend to request a postponement of the match, we are still seven players affected by Covid-19, plus a member of the staff (read elsewhere).“The general manager of Raf Gregory Ursule, like most of the leaders of the professional clubs of the country, certainly did not think that the virus was going to come again to play the spoilsport in a season until then rather spared. Since the resumption, at the end of December , it’s a real multiplex in which no longer rains the goals, but the… clusters. Twenty cases in Niort, around fifteen in Dunkirk, twelve in Amiens… including the meetings scheduled for tomorrow, respectively a trip to Caen and the receptions Paris FC as well as AC Ajaccio, were handed over. In the current state, there are therefore four cases missing in the Ruthenian workforce so that the blood and gold can formulate one. Or even less if the third porter Marc Vidal joined the list of prisoners tomorrow since at least a last rempa rt pro tested negative on the scoresheet.

But last night, the Rouergat group had to undergo a last series of PCR tests before the meeting, the new protocol of the authorities imposing a maximum of 48 hours beforehand. The results will be known today, like those of Pau, less affected with a package for contamination, that of their center-forward Romain Armand. His trainer Didier Tholot should be able to sit on the bench after the end of his period of isolation. Finally, only if Pau – Rodez can be held tomorrow, at 7 pm, which will only be known on this day. If this were the case, the Piton team would necessarily be at a disadvantage, like Le Havre (seven cases) and Valenciennes (six) who receive Sochaux (zero) and Guingamp (four).

But again, that could all change in the next few hours with the verdicts of the latest tests.

Supporters suffer too

So here we are back a year, or even two, with a pandemic that could completely distort the outcome of Ligue 2. Starting by breaking the good dynamics, like that of Raf, its best of the season currently with a defeat on the last seven oppositions for four wins and two draws. Or the bad ones, by relaunching adrift teams like the red lantern Nancy and her four lost matches in a row. With gauges of 5,000 spectators, which deprives clubs with the biggest stadiums of a certain advantage in home matches, unless they become proportional “specifically for large sports facilities“, as announced Tuesday the Minister of Sports Roxana Maracineanu. Except that everything is possible with this virus, then one thinks inevitably of the setting up of the total closed door of the previous year. Less than a stoppage of the season , like that of March 2020 which caused so much suffering to the finances of French football.

Because there is still hope

with the massive vaccination of teams, which makes it possible to more effectively protect players from severe forms of Covid-19. And therefore to the league to lighten its protocol with infected elements now authorized to come out of isolation after five days in the event of a negative test. A second reason for hope, too, with the Omicron variant, much more contagious but less dangerous. “The optimistic scenario is that of this double vaccine and natural immunity which will probably be acquired very quickly., recently predicted infectious disease specialist Benjamin Davido on franceinfo. We can hope that the year 2022 will bring us this long-awaited collective immunity.“If she could let the season end properly …