What will sport look like this summer? - SIPA

“Freedom will become the rule again, prohibition will become the exception. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced this Thursday during his press conference on the second phase of deconfinement that the health situation had greatly improved throughout the territory.

The head of government detailed the measures taken concerning the school or the bars and restaurants, but also the question of the resumption of the sports activities. This is what we can remember - with an important precondition: if most of the regions are now “green” zones, Île-de-France, Mayotte and Guyana are classified as “orange” zones.

For mainstream sport

Gyms, sports halls and swimming pools may reopen in the green zone from June 2 and in the orange zone from June 22, the date of the start of phase 3 of the deconfinement. On the other hand, collective and contact sports remain prohibited until this date, throughout the territory.

Prime Minister @EPhilippePM announces that gymnasiums and sports halls will be able to reopen in the green zone from June 2 and in the orange zone from June 22 # Deconfinement pic.twitter.com/NOGMyp1vjv

- Ministry of Sports 🏠🧘‍♀️ (@Sports_gouv) May 28, 2020

For outdoor sporting events, a maximum gauge of 5,000 people must be respected. Finally, for those who are "under the responsibility of an equipment manager". It will then be up to them "to guarantee appropriate rules of use, in particular on reception capacity and physical distance". In places where no one is in charge of management (playgrounds for example, and more generally public space), gatherings are limited to 10 people.

Professional sport

  • Ligue 1 can train… but that's it

Edouard Philippe authorized the resumption of training on June 2 for professional athletes, "within the framework of a strict medical protocol". The Ligue 1 clubs will therefore be able to implement the plan they have been thinking about for weeks.

Asked at the very end of the press conference on the shutdown of Ligue 1, and the possibility of going back, he did not open the door. "The competitions were interrupted for excellent reasons, I fully assume," he replied. The use of stadiums is still subject to limitations, such as the practice of team sports. I don't think the time is right. I hope that this moment will come soon, and that the start of next season can be done under normal conditions for players and teams. I know they are looking forward to it. "

Nevertheless, the signal is more than positive for professional football - and other sports - which should plan their start to the season as usual, during the month of August. French football can even seriously consider reprogramming the Cup finals for the 2019/20 season at the beginning of August, without knowing whether they will be able to be played with the public (see below). The same goes for the Champions League, which UEFA intended to complete in August. Again, given the evolution of the situation, French clubs will probably be able to celebrate.

  • What prospects for Roland-Garros and the Tour de France?

The Tour is due to start on August 29th. With the public by the roadside? Difficult to say in the immediate future, because the people who pile up along the route are not managed by the organizer. We can however imagine that the prefects and mayors concerned will have the hand to organize this in a secure manner. For the departure and arrival cities, the gauge of 5,000 people will be in force. For the moment.

Regarding Roland-Garros, whose dates have not yet been set but which could start on September 27, the public should also be able to come, but always in limited numbers. At the start of the week, Guy Forget, the boss of the tournament, wanted to be optimistic with "signals going in the right direction". His feeling can be reinforced, even if it will be necessary to give guarantees on how people will be able to walk in the aisles and sit in the stands.

However, for these two major events, the situation can still change considerably. By September, phase 3 of the deconfinement will have been announced and if the situation continues to evolve favorably, the organizers will gain latitude. And can count on a much wider audience.

What about stadiums?

Stadiums, like racetracks, remain closed until June 21 at least. Their reopening will be examined "depending on the health situation" by that date.

Society

Deconfinement: Ile-de-France, Guyana and Mayotte will be placed in the “orange” zone from June 2

  • Deconfinement
  • Coronavirus
  • Edouard Philippe
  • Sport
  • Roland Garros
  • Tour de France