French President Emmanuel Macron said “we will do everything” to ensure that European clubs, including Real Madrid, have players available for this summer's Paris Olympics.
France is keen to put on a “great show” when it hosts a soccer tournament at the Olympics and expects a number of big-name players to take part, including Kylian Mbappé, Aurélien Choameny and Eduardo Camavinga.
However, this will require each club to play a match, with the competition starting on July 24 and running until August 9, a period when many teams' pre-season programs have already begun.
The European Championships in Germany end just 10 days ago on July 14, raising concerns about player welfare and the extremely high workload during the traditional off-season.
Clubs cannot force players to release for the Olympics, which could lead to difficult talks between Now and Paris.
President Macron: “We will do everything'' RMC Sports. “If you understand what I mean, you can say that, but I have faith in French and European clubs.
“We had the Euros before (Euro 2024) and that's the problem. I think clubs need to do their part if they want to put on a great show.”
Meanwhile, Mbappé has previously said it is a “dream” to play at the Olympics, and has already received supportive support from the French Football Federation (FFF), French politicians and his Paris Saint-Germain team-mates. He said it was a “dream” to participate in the Olympics. Please allow him to participate.
It is yet to be confirmed where Mbappe will be playing domestic football by then. With his contract with PSG set to expire in June, Real Madrid appear to be leading the charge.
Asked if he was referring to Real (where Choameni and Camavinga already play), Macron replied: “That's right. When I was talking about European clubs, I was talking about them. .
“The players have to take that into account in their preparations and training sessions because we have the Euros and we hope to be able to play until July 14th.
“I hope so and I think it will happen. I haven't talked to Mbappe about it, but I hope his club will allow it.”
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(Kiril Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images)
