The Ligue 1 football players are adamant: they do not want to end this season, which has been suspended for the moment because of the coronavirus. If foreign players confined to their country should be allowed to return to France, three quarters of French players are reluctant to tread the lawns again, according to a consultation conducted by the union of professional players UNFP.
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The union claims to have received just under a thousand responses to its questionnaire. The identity of the players was kept secret. Three out of four answered "no" to the resumption of the championship.
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Players invoke risk of injury
The players, currently confined to their homes, point to the risk of contamination but especially that of injury in the event of too sudden recovery. Even if many talk physically, nothing can replace the intensity of training and the repetition of efforts.
Left to their own devices, some players may also be tempted to let go and adopt a less rigorous lifestyle, in terms of sleep or food, as confinement takes hold. A rushed return to the pitch and a very close match frequency could aggravate these risks, according to doctors and physiotherapists.
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This position strongly displeases the Professional Football League. If it recalls its concern to preserve the health of all the actors, it maintains its objective of a resumption of the season during June.