The League 1 It already has a confirmed date for the restart of the Opening Tournament. Victor Villavicencio, general manager of League 1, confirmed Friday, August 7, as the day that will mark the return of football in our country. Despite the fact that the first cases of COVID-19 already appeared after the molecular tests carried out in the different clubs, this would not be an impediment to delay the initial whistle.
Depor spoke with Villavicencio, who affirmed that the proposed date would not be in danger since all the protocols approved by the Government are being followed and the recovery times would fit with the stipulations of the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF).
What do you think about Minister Zamora’s statements regarding a postponement of the tournament?
Undoubtedly, there is the concern that we all have, to act with absolute responsibility, to follow the guidelines that the country’s health authorities dictate. We are on that path. I would think there would be no problem with Friday August 7 being the start date. There is a confidentiality issue, that approximately of all the tests that have been carried out, 7% have come out positive. The main theme here is prevention and getting to know in advance who unfortunately has this virus, and following the guidelines indicated by the Ministry of Health in relation to biosecurity issues. The biosafety delegate of the FPF, as well as of the club, the measures that are taken around the quarantine that must be followed, the monitoring of the footballer’s health. Then, after the quarantine, the footballer will have to pass a comprehensive medical examination, a digital tomography of the chest, there are also tests on the heart. Then a test is taken again and we have to have a doctor’s discharge. Here what is important is the issue of prevention and the responsibility to follow all the guidelines of the country’s health authorities.
It was a possibility that the first cases of COVID 19 could occur after molecular exams. Do you think that in the following tests, if it increases, that 7% increase could be a factor in delaying the restart date?
No. Prevention is sought, to be able to carry out tests in time, which are quite important for monitoring. Besides, it protects and reinforces the confidence and mental health of the team and its environment. That is quite important too. And, above all, the commitment and responsibility that must be adopted from the organization of the event so that the stadiums and training centers comply with all the biosafety measures, which is what the Federation is working on. Prevention, prior to the start of training, with the quarantine that this percentage will carry out, which I tell you that until yesterday approximately 7% of all those tested have been infected, hopefully they recover and can start training, and that the start that is still going to take place on Friday, August 7 does not have any complications.
There have been cases in Europe, such as the Paulo Dybala, who tested up to four times positive in COVID-19. Do you plan that this case can happen in League 1?
What happens is that just what we want with the time before the competition and especially the training time that they will have to be able to recover in all these months in which the soccer players have not been able to be active. I think it is long enough for there to be some recovery of the possible infected. So it is being prevented early. I know that in other federations it has also happened and the same has been played and they have had to play the game with youth players. But these situations, with the prevention that we are doing, we hope that they do not occur, because, as I tell you, we are still more than a month from the start of the competition and we hope that with absolute responsibility and prevention we can all get ahead and that the Competition starts without any problem.
Are the venues where the League 1 matches will take place defined?
It should be closing this week. It was in principle what the Organizing Committee of the League was seeing, they were the training centers for all those clubs that come from the interior of the country, which are schools, private clubs. Even a club belonging to League 1 such as Sporting Cristal made one of its fields available so that any club that comes from the interior of the country can train. Besides, competition venues are also being analyzed. In principle it is the Iván Elías Moreno stadium of VES, the Alberto Gallardo, the National state and the Miguel Grau del Callao that are about to close this week. They are analyzing from this Organizing Committee of the League the Monumental and Matute.
Why the Monumental stadium and Matute are not yet confirmed?
It is a matter of the part of infrastructure that they have been analyzing, and apart from that, they have to agree on agreements for the transfer of the stadiums. Sure is part of that.
Will the National stadium be used anyway for League 1?
It is for use. Without a doubt, when it is reactivated, we understand that in September it would be the qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, we would coordinate so that the selection does not have any problems during those dates, and a prudent time for the field to be in good condition. . Remember that the field must improve a lot because the use is going to be purely soccer, so that is a point in favor.
The specialists announce that there could be a regrowth which could increase the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19 in Peru. Do you have a contingency plan?
We respect the decisions made by the government and the health authorities. And we will continue to respect it. Hopefully there will be no regrowth. Now we are entering a new stage of commitment and individual responsibility that is quite important. Hopefully I don’t know about that situation.
What was the most difficult thing that you as League 1 and Federation had to face to take these steps?
They are joint efforts, from the political part of the Federation, from the general secretary, from the president, coordinating these reactivations and obviously the reactivation of the workers to the institution, finding a Federation with all the Biosafety guidelines, strictly abiding by what the government. On the other hand, also this support from the authorities that he mentioned regarding the flight that has brought several of the soccer players or members of the technical command of many institutions that are abroad. Or, for example, the contributions of Conmebol in relation to the tests. Recall that there are many tests between molecular and serological and rapid tests that will be tested for soccer players, which is quite important and follows the guidelines of FIFA and the Ministry. Another effort is the operational part of the League, the entire Federation team and the Organizing Committee.
For the restart of League 1, what references from abroad were taken?
That is undoubtedly being analyzed by the marketing and press team. They are doing a lot of training taking into account the experiences that are being lived in other countries. It is not easy but the FPF is leading the way to reactivate the competition so that we are prepared for the participation that Alianza Lima, Deportivo Binacional, Sport Huancayo and Melgar have in the Copa Conmebol Libertadores and Sudamericana. For the participation of the selection in the qualifiers, which would start in September. Obviously, many examples have been seen and adapted to the national reality, as was the case with the protocols, which were seen from Conmebol and Europe.
What progress is there compared to League 2?
We are now focused directly on League 1. We want to work in the best way and see how it evolves. Without a doubt, it is on our radar to reactivate League 2 but we are going step by step. Well, we hope that God through things go well, that League 1 restarts without complications and then we will see the reactivation of League 2.
