Game, set and match. The great ping-pong of declarations interposed between the FFF and PSG on the possible participation of Kylian Mbappé in the 2020 Olympics ended this week, according to our colleagues in L'Equipe , by a categorical no from Parisian leaders. Hardly coaxed by the stories of his attacker's Olympic "dream" nor convinced by the "Neymar was well at the Olympics [2016]" by Le Graët, Paris Saint-Germain was not satisfied with putting a stop to its champion in the world: by means of a letter, the club has outright informed the FFF of its firm intention of not letting any player leave for Tokyo 2020. Colin Dagba and Abdou Diallo can therefore also say goodbye to the Olympics, as well as Herrera, Bernat and Sarabia, courted by Olympic Spain, and even Neymar, who had instructed the boss of the CBF to force Paris.
"We know very well that this is part of the game"
Not enough to shock Didier Deschamps, who reacted to the controversy on the sidelines of the draw for the League of Nations Tuesday evening, believing that "PSG, and perhaps other clubs for that matter, have taken a stand and are in their right. […] These are the Olympic Games, it is in a period which is outside of the FIFA dates, and the clubs are the players' employers. ” Ditto on the side of the Fed, contacted Wednesday morning: "We are not surprised, we know very well that this is part of the game."
Game whose rules could get a little tougher if the rumors of a massive opposition to the selection of players for the Olympics from member clubs of the Association of European Clubs (ECA) were to materialize. Worrisome rumor. Because everything suggests that the shutdown of the taps of players by the ECA will durably threaten the participation of U23 players of the caliber of Kylian Mbappé in the Olympic tournament, in addition to giving already hegemonic clubs an even greater decision-making power.
Thus, if we take a hypothetical French selection for the Games based on the last selections and men in good shape, there would only be a handful of players who are not members of the ECA club. But exit, on paper, Ikoné (Lille), Aouar Terrier Tousart (Lyon), Guendouzi (Arsenal), Camavinga (Rennes), Nkunku Upemecano Mukiele Konaté (Leipzig), Zagadou (Dortmund), Kamara (OM) or Edouard (Celtic ). Non-exhaustive list and transposable to other major nations such as Spain.
In spite of everything, it is unlikely that this will happen. In reality, ultimately, the agreement between ECA member clubs would allow each team to manage its exceptions as it sees fit. Depending, for example, on their selection for the Euro for adults (which ends ten days before the start of the Olympic Games) or their size in the workforce.
Already problems with the World U20
FFF side, we do not pour into catastrophism. In fact, she already knows the song of the clubs who refuse to drop their best U23 elements - the main category concerned by the Olympic Games - or not. The showdown with the institutions extends even beyond the simple Olympic tournament. Take the U20 World Cup, for example: A Fifa competition ... outside of the Fifa calendar since it starts at the end of May when most of the championships are not over. A wonderful concept that pushes breeders like Bernard Diomède to anticipate the refusal of clubs to release their young children.
"Since 2015, I have kept a framework of ten players and I work with a group enlarged to 33", he explained last year to Ouest-France. And with regard to the word of the clubs, it is dependent on the current season (or to come). Diomède, always: “we talked to all the clubs at the start of the season [2018-19] and we anticipated this question. The problem is that the truth of September is not necessarily that of December, let alone that of June. It's a shame and unfair for the players. At least Kylian, no one had promised him anything. It's already that.
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2020 Olympics: PSG refuses to release Kylian Mbappé this summer
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