The Spanish top club Real Madrid will not release its players for the Olympic football tournament (from July 24th to August 9th). The Royals confirmed this to the AFP news agency on Friday. The club justified the decision with concerns about the health of the players in view of other major football events, such as the European Championships in Germany in the summer.
The Spanish record champions explained that the players “cannot take part in the European Championships or the Copa America and the Olympic Games”: “They can only take part in one competition. Not in both.” The necessity of the decision is “completely clear” with a view to the 2024/25 season. Since the Olympics are not part of the FIFA calendar, clubs are not obliged to release their players.
The announcement from the Madrilenians could mean the premature collapse of a dream, especially for France’s star striker Kylian Mbappé. A few weeks ago, the 25-year-old informed those in charge at Paris St. Germain that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season and, barring an extraordinary turn of events, signing with Real Madrid in the summer.
Mbappé had made it clear several times that he dreamed of taking part in the Olympic Games in his hometown of Paris. The captain of the French national team wanted to take advantage of the rule that allows each team to include three players over the age limit of 23 in their squad. All other players must be younger.
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The Olympic football tournament begins just ten days after the European Championship final in Germany. With regard to Mbappé, France’s national coach Didier Deschamps had already explained on Thursday that it would be very difficult to combine two competitions such as the European Championships and the Olympic Games.
