Paris (AFP)

The L1 and L2 clubs have decided not to release their internationals brought to play outside the European Union during the March break, due to a possible sanitary septage on their return, the Professional Football League announced on Wednesday ( LFP).

"In the absence of a septaine exemption for foreign international players made available to their national team (...), the clubs will not make available to the selections foreign players summoned for matches outside the EU zone / EEA (European Economic Area, Editor's note) during the next international period in March, "wrote the LFP in a statement.

This decision, resulting from a consultation with club presidents, was taken "unanimously", said the LFP, while several French teams had expressed their desire to retain their internationals, such as Brest, Nantes, Metz or Dijon.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Fifa has relaxed its rules for summoning players for the next international break, allowing clubs to retain their footballers if quarantine is mandatory on return.

And everywhere in Europe, the positions of clubs have multiplied in favor of blocking internationals brought to travel outside the Old Continent.

This decision by French professional clubs complicates the work of many coaches, in Europe, where some qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup are scheduled outside the EU, such as the Serbia-Portugal clash (March 27), and in Africa. , where the end of the qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations scheduled for early 2022 must take place.

The France team, which for its part must travel outside the EU to Kazakhstan (March 28) then to Bosnia (March 31) after receiving Ukraine (March 24), should benefit from an exception.

According to sources familiar with the matter, discussions have taken place between the French Federation, UEFA and the government with a view to granting exemptions from septaine to the players concerned on the condition that they respect a strict health framework, the idea being that they pass from one sanitary bubble to another, without contact with the outside, during their transfers from the club to the selection and vice versa.

© 2021 AFP