Real Madrid has officially banned its players from participating in the 2024 Olympics that are to be held in Paris, France.
France is getting ready to host the Olympics this summer, but the Spanish club Real Madrid is expected to deny permission to release their players, which will deal a serious blow to their chances of winning a gold medal at home in football, according to the French daily L’Equipe.
Given the number of players from the LALIGA leaders that coach Thierry Henry could have wanted to have in his squad, that is a serious blow to him. They include defender Ferland Mendy and midfielders Aurelién Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga.
Furthermore, there are still rumours that Kylian Mbappé may join Real Madrid this summer, and it would appear that he will be bound by the same regulations.
As a result, France may be without a number of important players this summer. To compete in the Olympics, athletes must be under 23 or be selected as one of three “wildcard” slots.
Le Monde had conjectured that Mbappé and Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann, two more Spanish football stars, may qualify as wildcards.
Olympic Football Squad Problems
Due to the nature of Olympic football, clubs are not required by FIFA to release their players, unlike in the case of a World Cup or other regional competition.
The Olympic Games and the UEFA European Championship taking place at the same time adds another layer of complexity. Just ten days before the Olympic football competition gets underway, on July 14, the Euros will come to a close with the final held in Germany.
Seasons in several European leagues will begin as soon as the Olympics conclude on August 9th, with the men’s gold medal match.
Although it began on August 11th of the previous season, Real Madrid’s kickoff date in the Spanish tournament has not yet been established.
“I have no certainties. I am at the mercy of a yes or a no from a club,” coach Henry said in a press conference on Thursday, reflecting on the reality when it comes to selecting his squad. “And then if they agree and then change coach in the meantime, who is to say I would still have him?”
Didier Deschamps, the coach of the French senior team, discussed the difficulty of competing in multiple tournaments so soon this week, saying, “it is very difficult from a psychological and physical viewpoint to take part in two competitions like that one after the other, in the summer, without having any holiday.”
