Paris (AFP)

It feels back to school! But, at the French Stadium, it is without crampons or balls for the moment: the recovery is approaching for the Parisian players who carried out medical tests on Thursday, before returning to training next week.

"An effort test, like that, is a bit hard when you wake up! But it's okay, you have to go through it ...", blows pillar Sami Mavinga, the first of the team, at 9:00 a.m. '' Institute Sport Sport Santé.

The "Pink Soldiers" had indeed an appointment in this center nestled in the bowels of the Jean-Bouin stadium, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, with a breathtaking view of the lawn where they usually play their matches.

The meetings are linked every half hour and begin with a burst of questions: "Did you have palpitations? Uneasiness? No loss of consciousness? Are you all right? No infectious context?"

On his bike, Mavinga, he breathes. Armed with electrodes, he sweats. "Go! Go!", Encourages club doctor Elliot Rubio.

No worries for the 27-year-old colossus. "It feels good after a long break. Frankly, we needed it. It feels good to change the environment, to return to what we like. I missed it, it was long!" Admits Mavinga.

After him, the brothers Alo Emile, Pau and Moses, then Yoann Maestri, Sekou Macalou or Antoine Burban took part in the tests.

- Resumed on the 15th -

Gaël Fickou, Arthur Coville, Jonathan Danty, them, will pass to the revealer of effort the following day.

"I'm here to play rugby so not being able to do it for a while is complicated. It feels good to be back," says Paul Alo Emile.

"It's exciting! It feels good. With everything that happened, it was important to be as safe as possible. We shouldn't take any risks, especially if it is going to hurt us or to someone else ... In any case, I can't wait to be on the field, to be able to play rugby again, "added the Samoan.

For ten days, the Stadists have been performing a battery of medical tests, a prerequisite before resuming training.

These tests should make it possible to "detect if there is a problem of rhythm (cardiac) problem in players in the post-Covid period, players who would not necessarily have tested positive on biologies", explains the doctor Rubio.

The objective according to him is "to be able to authorize them to resume the submaximal then maximal effort in complete safety, without having gone through a problem like subviral myocarditis".

Most top athletes will have to go through this before being allowed to resume training.

For the rugby players at the Stade Français, the process is accelerating next week, from June 15, with a recovery in small groups ... with, finally, the possibility of touching the ball.

© 2020 AFP