A new positive case for Covid-19 is to be deplored within the French handball team, which is currently playing the Euro, in Budapest, Hungary. The RT-PCR tests carried out on Friday evening on the eve of France – Iceland thus revealed that Kentin Mahé was positive. If the Blues staff received the bad news on Saturday morning, they did not formalize the withdrawal until Saturday, in the middle of the afternoon, “as close as possible to the match so as not to give any indications to the opponent” , specifies the French federation handball in a press release. Arrived in Budapest in the night to remedy the withdrawal of Kentin Mahé, Mathieu Grébille could be aligned for the first match of the main round against Iceland, this Saturday at 6 p.m.
After Karl Konan and coach Guillaume Gille, Kentin Mahé is therefore placed in solitary confinement for five days. The center half of the France team will be able to rejoin the group, after a negative test. “At best, his return could therefore take place at the time of the semi-finals if, naturally, the Blues manage to reach the last four”, calculates the federation in its press release. Karl Konan, if he has a negative test, will be able to return to the group on Sunday.
While Guillaume Gille will have to follow the match against Iceland from his hotel room, Yohann Delattre will officiate on the bench as assistant to Érick Mathé. He too arrived that night in Budapest. Note that another player, Ludovic Fabregas is absent from the list of 16 (he is replaced by Théo Monar). If the French federation specifies that he “is negative for all RT-PCR tests”, he presents symptoms evoking a flu syndrome.