Youri, the media manager of PSG Fan Club in New York, talks through the quarantine as he sees it in the USA, and the impact of the health crisis on his everyday life.
Since the first appearance of the COVID-19, the world has effectively ground to a halt. And the Paris Saint-Germain Fan Club in New York, which is led by Youri is no exception to this rule. "In the USA, there hasn't been an official government announcement regarding a quarantine. But companies have taken the initiative to ask their employees to work from home. We are therefore into our second week of a non-obligatory quarantine. In New York, the shops, restaurants, bars and clubs have all closed their doors. The pharmacies and supermarkets are still open. I travelled a bit through the city in order to collect some documents at work, and it's a real ghost town! I have never seen it like that."
Before the crisis started, the Paris supporters were able to make the most of their club's qualification for the quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League. "It was crazy after that win over Dortmund. There were lots of people who were meant to travel to Paris to watch the match. It was a real opportunity to come together and party with an incredible atmosphere. We all went out to dinner after the match to celebrate Paris Saint-Germain's victory. This victory is so important for the rest of the competition. Our objectives don't change, despite this break in proceedings, and we hope that the club will win as many trophies as possible."
Despite a lack of matches and news from the club so close to their heart, the members of the New York Fan Club remain in touch. "In terms of our personal and social relationships, we are completely prevented from doing anything and that's annoying. But from the sporting side of things, it's incredibly frustrating as nothing is happening. There are no matches, so we can't meet up with the rest of the Fan Club. When we go into this period of March and April, with the cup matches, we normally see our friends and fellow members of the Fan Club at least twice a week. It's now been two weeks that we haven't seen each other, so we Skype, we try to call each other. We are very active, so the group continues to speak."
The time difference doesn't stop Youri from keeping in touch with his friends and fellow supporters in the Capital. "We are remaining solid and united, because some of our friends have been impacted by COVID-19. We are keeping in touch with those we know in France because we are obviously affected by what is happening in our country. For the time being, everyone is doing well. Now, we need to stick to the rules and stay at home in order to fight this virus."
Youri wanted to send one final message in order to combat the crisis: "I hope that all supporters and everyone stays healthy. Take the necessary measures in order to beat this virus. And don't give up your love of PSG! We have had highs and lows in our history but the future is ahead of us, and here's hoping it will be our year in the Champions League..."