As expected, however, the players will be reunited with their loved ones for the New Year's Eve before resuming preparation in Créteil on January 2.

"We arbitrated between the benefit we would have had to keep them with us in the bubble and the risk of wear and tear," coach Guillaume Gille explained Wednesday, faced with eight positive cases since his first list.

The first match against Egypt scheduled for Chambéry on Friday January 7 is therefore relocated to Créteil (9:05 p.m.), the second scheduled for Paris-Bercy against Norway on Sunday is canceled.

Instead, "a second France - Egypt match will be held in Créteil (Palais des Sports Robert-Oubron) on the same day at 4.45 p.m.", details the FFHB in a press release, due to "new measures announced by Prime Minister Jean Castex , Monday, December 27 ".

Among these, the executive limits from Monday the "large gatherings" to a "gauge of 2,000 people indoors and 5,000 people outdoors".

Exit therefore the party hoped for the return of the French Olympic champions in front of their public, "taking into account the health situation, the general public ticket office will be limited to 500 places for each of the matches organized in Créteil", specifies the Federation.

The shortfall "is close to one million euros" for the Federation, according to its president Philippe Bana.

"Nearly 14,000 tickets had been sold for Bercy and 4,500 for Chambéry," he said by videoconference on Wednesday.

"The ticket office alone represented half a million euros in revenue. Added to that are public relations, sponsorship, and TV rights."

"The State is committed to fully understanding the consequences of these last minute restrictions," assured the boss of the Federation after discussions with the Elysee, Matignon and the sports ministry.

Also scheduled for Sunday at the "POPB", the match between Denmark and Egypt within the framework of the stage in France of the Golden League (a friendly tournament) is also canceled.

"The two other teams participating in the Golden League, Norway and Denmark, will not make the trip to French territory," said the FFHB.

At Euro-2022 organized by Hungary and Slovakia, the Blues, Olympic champions in Tokyo this summer, hope to imitate their predecessors of Experts, winners of the international tournament that followed their 2008 Olympic coronation, namely the 2009 World Cup.

© 2021 AFP