Liga Santander: This was the return of the Atlético two months later: “More than nervous, I was anxious” | LaLiga Santander 2019

The players were separated into five fields separated by a tape. Simeone led the session with Professor Ortega

• Covid-19.
  

  Renan Lodi, positive; nine other athletic footballers were also in contact with the disease
  

One day before flying to Liverpool (March 10), the Atlético players trotted for the last time on the Cerro del Espino de Majadahonda. Who (we) was going to tell them that, because of the coronavirus, it would take them two months to do something that was then the most normal thing: training. This morning, as the test day already happened, Stefan Savic He was the earliest to park his car there. A first step in trying to get back to normal.

All the players, except Renan Lodi, who is waiting at his home, until he was negative in two PCR tests, put on the training clothes at home and arrived with gloves and a mask, as indicated by the LaLiga protocol, explained with posters in the corners of the rojiblanca sports city.

“More than nervous, I was a little anxious to get there at once, to be able to train, see the teammates, the ball in the green … It was a lot of anxiety,” admitted the defender from Charra, speaking to the club. “After so long it shows in the legs, but it was very enjoyable,” he added.

The five training fields were divided by tapes to establish the space that corresponds to each player, with a maximum of six on each field of play. So, with Diego Pablo Simeone Supervising the session, wearing gloves and a mask, the first phase of training for the Athletics began.

“At least we get out of the routine”

Physical exercises with and without ball. Sneakers and cleats. A few looks (like Sal's) very different from those that looked before the Covid-19 crisis. Morata, belt and Joao FlixFor example, they shared a plot in that first session they had been waiting for so long.

For almost two months, they have trained at home, with Professor Ortega's script. But another thing is to step on the grass again. “It will be all the more special when we go back to training together. At least we get out of the routine of training in our homes, from the burden of the running of the bulls.”

Thomas says that “it is different” to train as

The ghans midfielder of the Atlético de Madrid Thomas partey He recognized that the first training after the coronavirus break was strange because they are not used to training with distance from their peers.

“It was different, at the beginning we suffered because we weren't used to the distance, but we will get used to it, “said the player in statements offered by the club.

Thomas explained that these almost two months of home confinement for him have been a “difficult” experience. “We are accustomed to being on vacation, training, playing with friends, but in this case I could only be at home. Has been difficultBut with the situation we have had to get used to it, continue training at home as we can, and in the end we have managed to pass it, “he said.

What is extra for the footballer in this first session is having contact with the group ball, something that they will not be able to do until the following phases of the training protocol designed by the Higher Sports Council. “The problem is that we have not had situations to touch the ball and play in a group, but now we have to go little by little and try to return to normal, “he concluded.