By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Valencia coach Jaume Ponsarnau talked about how his players were negatively affected by the confinement due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Spanish coach mentioned that some of his guys developed depression during the lockdown.
“When we returned, we found negative surprises,” Ponsarnau said in an interview with La Provincia. “There were players who were worse than we thought and who returned from confinement with depression. It’s something that impacts you. Now clearly, they are going upwards with the return to work and being able to see their colleagues. It may seem silly but being able to make jokes that were made in person and stop doing them through a screen is a psychological advance.”
Ponsarnau discussed the concerns his players have regarding the potential resumption of the season.
“What we are managing are three kinds of fears with the players and some have all three. The first is that of the contagion and within this issue, they are more concerned about not infecting people close to them than about becoming infected themselves. Many speak of the fear of infecting their families. The second is injury due to having to prepare to play an express and very demanding competition after being locked up for a long time. That fear is great. The third is regarding the contracts because the players who don’t have a secured contract for the next season are now exposed to a risk, be it the virus, an injury or poor performance after a long period of inactivity. They are worried.”