Fabien Galthié, February 6, 2021 in Italy.
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Insidefoto / Sipa USA / SIPA
Fabien Galthié, positive for Covid-19 and feverish for a few days, would have violated the protocol on several occasions by leaving Marcoussis before Ireland.
A problematic attitude, while the coach of the Blues has set very strict rules of life when he takes office.
Can the France group pay for the consequences of this distortion of group life, while the FFR's communication raises questions?
For a type in quarantine, and symptomatic, on top of that, according to the
Team
, Fabien Galthié walks a lot in the vast alleys of Marcoussis.
According to the latest indiscretions raised from Essonne, the coach of the XV of France has attended all the training of the Blues since the beginning of the week.
Very far from the players, still happy, but it's a bit strong coffee considering the latest revelations from colleagues.
Indeed, Galthié would have violated the health protocol duly negotiated with the sports ministry by leaving Marcoussis the week before the match in Ireland, and several times to be sure.
Galthié's public image takes a hit
If it is undoubtedly exaggerated to blame him for the Covid-19 epidemic which led to the cancellation of the match against Scotland on Sunday, Galthié committed his first blunder in his post, an odd with consequences difficult to establish, even if the man has a taste for truant escapades.
Mohed Altrad, its president in Montpellier ten years ago, can still talk about the hours of this trip to Rio to celebrate Serge Kampf's 80th birthday when there was a match to direct over the weekend.
The public image of Galthié obviously takes a hit, after a year and a half spent seducing the followers and lovers of the XV of France.
Arrived on embers before the 2019 World Cup, "the assistant like the others" had been able to resist the urge to pass for the boss before being the boss.
No press briefing, no confidences distilled here or there, no negative interference.
His official enthronement in the native village of the Lot smelled good with the rugby of the Paparamborde brothers and the gnons under his pants.
Leg of lamb, duck breast on a couch, cabécou, spring roll with foie gras sprinkled with Cahors, the crowd was won over, as much by the buffet as by the discourse on the arrow of time and tactical periodization.
On this Valentine's Day, I hope that our France team has managed to make the hearts of rugby lovers beat faster.
Thank you to our supporters, you give us strength.
A thought of amateur clubs who cannot play.
We also play for you 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/IKZjKocpeU
- Fabien Galthié (@FGalthie) February 14, 2021
"If players leave the frame, they leave"
This is the time when the staff of the Blues takes with him the cameras of Stage 2 in his meal tour, 90 players reviewed like a midwife of confessions, and poor Lauret who takes for everyone: "We will create a living environment that is not negotiable, to which you have to say yes in order not to waste time.
If players say yes but leave the frame, they leave, there are taxis waiting for you ”.
What remains of this living environment, when the coach allows himself to step over it without a glance?
What remains of this MCQ in defense and citizenship day plan sent to the players before England last year to "sanctify" their relationship to the XV of France, when we take such liberality with a protocol trying above all for the players? players?
Even Moscato, buddy among the buddies, took offense to RMC: “We know what it's like to be in training, even more now.
We cannot imagine the intensity and violence.
It is very strong.
It takes a commando united like brothers.
But you can't stand a brother, especially the boss of the brothers, playing the stupid thing.
It is not possible ".
Impossible to know if the players share his moods, at least publicly.
No press briefing this week in Marcoussis, the only one scheduled for Thursday having been canceled at the last moment for reasons of "technical incapacity with regard to the isolation of the players".
Is.
The version of the federation questioned internally
In off, we are not yet to mutiny, but let's say that the rumor rustling of the infidelities of Galthié ran for a moment before being revealed, and that the denial of the coach, affirming that "all his actions were in conformity to the sanitary protocol ”, did not convince many people.
But more than the dark side of Galthié which would come to the surface, this side "I roll for my apple" Mourinhesque which has left traces in all the clubs where he has been, it is the communication strategy of the whole of the federation, of which Galthié is only a soldier, which goes badly internally.
The vice-president of the FFR and responsible for the health protocol, Doctor Serge Simon, who has seen more clusters in national teams than vaccinated French people, sells since the start of the crisis the version that suits him.
The scapegoat or patient zero would be an anonymous physical trainer, who would have the advantage of having nothing to be ashamed of.
Except that in Marcoussis, many see it as a rude counter-fire to try to pass the coach between the drops.
Top 14 clubs did not like
The latter, if he is still supported by convincing results, has undoubtedly squandered a little of his credit with his group, and greatly weakened his position in the tight negotiations between the LNR and the FFR around the team of France.
In the clubs supplying internationals, no one has forgotten, for example, that Galthié was more stubborn than a Castile mule on the match sheets affair in the fall before he got to reason, and the management of the current crisis should not encourage them to make life easy for the staff of the Blues in the coming months.
Asked by France Info shortly before the revelation of a new positive case within the workforce, Bernard Laporte was eager to move on to something else, to the tune of "I am convinced that no one has faulted, we have You know, this virus is a little bastard ”.
The federation will however have to investigate its own negligence and refer it to the Ministry of Sports, which had hesitated a lot before giving the green light to the holding of the VI Nations tournament.
It will then be difficult for him to deny the pranks of his coach, unless he loses all credibility.
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