Why French players from Real Madrid will not play in the Paris Olympics

There is now no longer any debate possible. According to information from L’Equipe, Real Madrid warned the French Football Federation (FFF) that none of its players would play in the Paris 2024 Olympics. It was expected, it is now official. This announcement definitively buries the hopes of seeing Kylian Mbappé (who should, barring any surprises, join Real next season) during the global event.

“It’s not me who decides, it’s my employer, he will have the last word. If my employer doesn’t want me to do them, I won’t do them,” declared the captain of the Blues last November, during a press conference with the France team. “I have reached a stage in my life and my career where I no longer want to force things,” the main person told GQ last January. If they let me do them, I will go with great pleasure but if it is not possible, I will understand. The PSG star wanted to continue with the Euro football tournament (June 14-July 14) then the Olympics from July 24. Real Madrid, for their part, do not want – for multiple reasons – to recover Mbappé at the end of August. Logic.

In addition to the Parisian striker, the three other French Merengues Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni will not be able to play in the Olympics. At a press conference this Thursday, Didier Deschamps brushed aside the subject: “It’s not me who decides. If Thierry Henry decides to take a player in his age category or above and his club agrees, he will be taken. I am a “pro” French team. The objective for the Blues is to have the best possible team. During the last Olympics, we must remember what happened to Sylvain Ripoll. It was notably the fault of the French clubs. Foreign clubs, whether the Olympics are in France, goes over their heads. I am with Thierry Henry. But on a psychological and physical level, it is difficult to string together two competitions. The goal remains the same: to make sure you have the best team possible. I wish “Titi” a lot of courage. I’m not going to decide. It’s his responsibility. He will make his choices to have the best possible team.”