Coronavirus: Fouad Bachirou, Comorian international not confined to Sweden

Text by: Farid Achache Follow

Comorian international, Fouad Bachirou, Malmö FF midfielder, did not experience confinement like most players in Europe. For RFI, it testifies to the particular situation of Sweden compared to the rest of the continent.

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"  I dare not imagine what you are going through  ," moves Fouad Bachirou by phone from his home in Sweden. The Comorian international who plays at Malmö FF has not experienced the coronavirus pandemic like most football players in Europe, forced to be confined to home.  

Surprised not to be confined

In Sweden, measures to fight the virus are more flexible than elsewhere on the "Old Continent". Among the strictest rules is the ban on gatherings of more than 50 people. Only universities and high schools have closed. The Swedish authorities have called for the "  responsibility  " of fellow citizens.

The native of Valence in the Drôme, trained at Paris Saint-Germain, arrived in Sweden in 2014 (Östersunds FK) after a first contract in Scotland at Greenock Morton FC. Fouad Bachirou wanted to live “  football experiences  ” abroad.

"  It's very weird. I, who have friends everywhere, see almost the whole world confined and not us. Here I expected the same thing and ultimately not. Everything is open. We just give instructions, but we don't forbid anything, ” explains the midfielder. "There was a form of fear the first week and then the good weather came and people came out,  " he said.

No more locker room, no more weight room

On the football side, Fouad Bachirou continued to train as usual with his club. "  We can no longer be in the locker room, we must go directly to the field , reports Fouad Bachirou. Then we have a meal tray and we have to shower at home. We cannot use the weight room but when we are on the lawn, we practice the usual exercises with contact. It's special, everything doesn't make sense.  "

In Sweden, the championship which was to start on April 2 has been postponed to avoid rallies. "  We will start on June 14 ," says Fouad Bachirou. The season will be tighter and will end before Christmas as usual. The meetings will be closer together . The first matches should be played behind closed doors.

"  We're going to play about every three days, it's going to be hard for everyone. Clubs that do not have a large membership will suffer. We are more armed,  ”explains Fouad Bachirou. Malmö, former club of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, used to play the Europa League. Fouad Bachirou has faced during his career in Sweden notably Chelsea, Galatasaray, Parma or even Hertha Berlin.

A drop in wages out of solidarity

As in other European championships, some Swedish clubs are now in financial difficulty. In Malmö, the best club in Sweden, part of the employees are partially unemployed. “  We accepted a 7.5% drop in salary over two months after consulting with players. The club had asked for nothing and we wondered what we could do to be united,  ”says Fouad Bachirou.

Still under contract until 2022, Fouad Bachirou still feels good in Sweden even if he will not do it all his life. "  It is an open country, I learned a lot there and football is a popular sport  ", exposes the one who is impatient to find the 25 000 usual supporters who come to support the Di blåe ("the blues") during home meetings.

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