After 17 days of strong training sessions to try to achieve a good physical level after almost nine weeks without being able to exercise, Gregory Dupont (Valenciennes, France, 1972) already has the Madrid squad right where he wanted for in these two weeks that remain before returning to the league competition. Now you have the most specific job: He wants to prepare the squad as if he were going to compete in a World Cup: he has 11 games in just one month, which is practically the same time, although in this case the matches will be more. The idea that he and Zidane manage is to have all the elements of the template, with the exception of Luka Jovic, the only long-term injured player who remains in the white locker room.
Dupont was the most responsible for the French preparation that ended up winning the last World Cup (in Russia-2018) and in which the national team bleu He showed great physical power: according to FIFA data from said championship, The French team ran almost 108 kilometers per game (among all its players), which allowed it to make an average of 12 shots per game. This time, new due to the circumstances (stop due to the Coronavirus pandemic), almost all the players have exercised with a physical trainer of their total confidence. What Dupont has done in these three weeks has been to calibrate the state of each one of them during the first week. It should be remembered that the staff was divided into two groups and that they could not coincide in locker rooms and common areas, which made common work difficult. While in the other two remaining weeks it has been to equalize the physical state. Now He has one last push left in these two weeks before the restart of the League.
However, the great fear that exists is muscle injuries that may occur at this time. The Whites will play an average of three games per week, but with the high temperatures, the existing tension (the psychological aspect) and that there will be no shooting phase (players from all teams will go directly to competition), Usual in the preseason with the different friendly matches, respect for an injury / relapse of an important player is key.
After two days off, the players' return to training is set for Monday, June 1 at 10:00 a.m. It is already approved by the Government that collective training can be carried out, which will facilitate in some way the work and status of each player. By then there will be only two weeks left for the return to the league competition, but Dupont's preparation goes beyond the 11 remaining matches. The second leg of the Champions League against Manchester City is also on the horizon, but by then he will have another two weeks of active rest. There you will see if Dupont's work pays off …