If there is anyone who is finding it especially difficult to cope with home confinement, it is Gil Manzano. In an interview with Radio Cope, the LaLiga referee who has been linked to sports all his life (first to athletics and then to refereeing) said "I'm going to climb the wall because this situation it has taken us all by surprise and has broken us".
He started with nine years in the world of athletics and still runs 6-7 days a week at a rate of 10-12 kilometers in each training. "I have gone from doing all that sport and going to the gym to see myself in the situation we are in that I don't do anything aerobic. To do that type of exercise at home, I had to buy a spinning bike and an elliptical", explained the referee. “Also, I train outdoor with a group of athletes who compete and try to adapt my sessions to them," he said. To all this we must add that "the referees – especially those who are international - are extremely active people because we spend a lot of time away from home and suddenly we are locked up at home 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To counter this sedentary lifestyle to which we are being forced, we have received a training plan from the CTA and particularly I also have my personal trainer who has also sent me high-intensity exercises." Theoretical preparation is also very important for the CTA led by Velasco Carballo, which periodically sends exams and videos so that the braids continue to form. "He is in contact with us weekly and now more frequently because of the break in the competition. They send us video-tests with plays to review and that we make the decision that we would make on the field. Once finished, they send us the results and so we do not lose the dynamic", he concluded. Gil Manzano confirmed that no member of the refereeing staff has been actively affected by the Covid-19, neither with symptoms nor with a positive result: "We are all well. Every two days we make video calls where we meet and follow-up. The break was necessary because health is above all. Any decision made will be the best for sport and athletes".
Source: El arbitro de futbol
