Spring and summer 2020 were exceptional all over the world – as we know, unfortunately all football leagues were also stopped in the spring due to the pandemic caused by the covid-19 virus.
In France, too, we ended the series well in the spring. I, like the others, returned home to wait for what would happen. Spring is long in Finland and the temperature rises slowly. So, for example, I enjoy skating on snow-free lake ice. When spring gradually turns into summer, it is a very wonderful time in Finland.
It was a pleasure and an opportunity for me to be outdoors and keep fit in Finland and especially in the countryside. Since Finland is a sparsely populated country, it was quite easy to find a space where I could run without extra contacts during the corona time. Finland is famous for its pure nature and numerous lakes. We have the saying: “Finland is a land of thousands of lakes”. The water is clean and fresh. I enjoy sauna and swimming in the lake, because in summer the water in the lake is warm enough. A few years ago, I collaborated with the Finnish sauna company, as a result of which the book was written about the Finnish sauna and that book was translated e.g. for English and German.
The summer continued, and in the summer I also did painting work in the countryside and our summer apartment got a new color and beautiful white railings. Painting is nice because as a result, you can quickly see the imprint of your own hand – although painting a house requires precision and patience. I also went fishing a few times with my sister and dad. Therefore, everyone in Finland has the right to fish privately.
During the summer, we received confirmation that matches not played in the spring of the UEFA Champions League will be played in August. So all of us, Lyon players, were invited back to Lyon in early June and we started joint practice. Our goal was to prepare for a longer period before the final tournament to be played at the end of August.
Before the final tournament, we were first at a training camp in the French Alps in Tignes. After that, we went to Poland to play three training games against local teams. Before the Champions League games, we also played in the French Cup final, winning the Paris PSG.