If the French win Monday night against Switzerland in Bucharest, they will play their quarter-final in Saint Petersburg on Friday, where the health situation has deteriorated sharply.

This is what pushes the Deputy Minister in charge of Sports, Roxana Maracineanu, to advise against Europe 1 for French supporters to go to Russia to encourage the Blues.

INTERVIEW

Whatever happens, the quarter-final of Euro 2020 between the winner of Croatia-Spain and that of France-Switzerland will be played on Friday at 6 p.m., in Saint Petersburg. However, the health situation linked to Covid-19 has clearly deteriorated in this large Russian metropolis, to the point of worrying the various authorities in Western countries. So Roxana Maracineanu, Minister Delegate for Sports, who advises supporters on Monday on Europe 1 to go to the Russian city to encourage the Blues on Friday evening.

"It's difficult for real football lovers who want to support this French team, I can imagine," said the minister delegate to Europe 1 from Bucharest, where the Blues face Switzerland on Monday at 9 pm.

But "the health situation must prevail today in France. Many cases are now confirmed in Russia. We must therefore be careful and I would tend to say 'let's follow them, encourage them from France' and wait until ' they qualify for the half to see how we can follow them in the finals. "

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A choice between St. Petersburg and London?

"If the supporters go directly to Saint Petersburg from Bucharest, they will have to remain in quarantine once they return to France, which would make them miss the semi-final at Wembley (in London, Tuesday, July 6, editor's note), if however we qualify, "continues the manager.

"For the moment," continues Roxana Maracineanu, "we have not found any other solution since the movement of football supporters does not constitute a compelling reason for professional travel. We will perhaps have to make a choice between going to the support in St. Petersburg or Wembley, in the quarter-finals or the semi-finals. "

With this sporting question: will the Blues be able to qualify in the last four to find their supporters on the Old Continent?