The announcement fell yesterday afternoon, with OGCN being forced to close all its facilities due to the coronavirus. Since the last tests conducted by the team and staff, at least 12 people have been declared positive.
#COVID19: The training center and the professional sports area of the building are closed until further notice. To prevent the virus from spreading too actively, group training sessions are canceled. https://t.co/JsQcP6KCDj
— OGC Nice (@ogcnice) November 10, 2020
A halt for the Aiglons! Patrick Vieira’s players will have to train at home. This is bad news for the group, which needs to keep training together to develop a cohesive defense, especially with Dante’s injury keeping him out for the season.
The closure also affects youth teams up to the U12 level. Among the 12 announced cases, the names of three players from the pro squad who tested positive are already known: Youcef Atal, Jordan Lotomba, and Andy Plemard.
Fortunately for the club, this mandatory closure comes at the start of an international break. Therefore, it should not impact the upcoming schedule. As a reminder, according to the latest protocol established by the LFP (Professional Football League), teams must be able to field a squad of at least 20 negative players (including one goalkeeper) out of a squad of 30.
For now, a reopening of the club’s facilities “is being considered for next week after new tests, in agreement with health authorities,” the officials communicated.
Next match for OGCN is in Marseille on Saturday, November 21st.
