The coronavirus is flourishing the consensus that many other times has been lacking in Spanish professional football. An evident test is being seen with the way of proceeding before the ERTEs. No entity wants to take a step before the rest and all the clubs prefer to look for collective solutions, such as general salary drops, rather than each of them starting to face the consequences of this war. Another example is short-term plans. After several feints from some clubs to continue with the training, cut by the root by the decree of the State of Alarm, the steps to follow now want to be done fully and coordinated. If something has become clear in the telematic meetings between the 42 clubs, is that the return to work of the teams will be done as a block according to the Health guidelines and also to the LaLiga councils.
Once the government forced all sports facilities to be closed, all that remains is to wait. Nevertheless, The clubs are pushing for elite sport, such as the First and Second, to soon receive special permission so that they can resume training at least while waiting for the competition to return as soon as possible. They know that footballers, even being professionals, are at the tail of the Olympic athletes and that until they receive the approval, neither would they. The only solution to be able to immediately after April 11, the date until which the confinement has been extended, is that the Government accepts the request that high-performance athletes enter the group authorized to exercise their work activity at present, even if it is individually and respecting all the healthy measures that avoid the contagion.
This permit does not appear to be forthcoming. As much as the COE and other institutions, such as the Andalusian Government, are asking for an urgent solution and although the efforts are being made at the highest level. The serious national situation, with more than 2,000 deaths from the conoravirus, does not allow to lift the foot of the accelerator as far as protective measures are concerned. Nevertheless, many consulted clubs already have their facilities adapted in case this situation occurs. They don't want to waste time. The training grounds are already completely clean and disinfected. In addition, as is the case of several First and Second clubs, up to nine changing rooms per club are prepared so that more than three players in the same space will never coincide (always keeping the distance measurements) with the idea that they rotate through one circuit so that all the equipment (gym, field series, swimming pool, etc) never coincide. The idea of the staffs is to hold a two-week mini-preseason until the competition restarts, since it seems clear that it will never be before May 10. Until now clubs are buying and renting gym equipment so that their players work at home and do not lose shape, where they are even receiving video sessions. According to experts, a professional can lose up to 3% of their physical level per week.
Barça, as Javier Miguel reported in AS yesterday, expects to return on April 27. That is the date that they handle in other clubs, although everything will depend on the government authorities and, above all, the coronavirus.