Four months before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Thierry Henry continues his fight to have the best players available for the competition.
Latest episode to date, a letter sent by Real Madrid to the French Football Federation in which the Merengue club indicated that it would not authorize its players to participate in the Paris Olympics next summer.
A negative response which concerns Ferland Mendy and Eduardo Camavinga precisely but which does not mention Kylian Mbappé, as we mentioned this Friday for the simple reason that the captain of the Blues is not (yet?) a Real player Madrid.
Thierry Henry did not avoid the subject this Monday at a press conference.
“I suspected that.
Clubs abroad do not have the same situation as us in France.
The French clubs will be there to help, but for the foreign clubs, it is normal that there is this no,” he explained calmly.
“Quite a few names we would like to have”
However, the 1998 world champion does not give up.
“I never stopped at the first “no”.
We'll see what we can do.
We'll try to see if we can discuss, if we can be received... It's not easy.
This is not to be defeatist, but the decision still belongs to the clubs,” recalled the coach of the French Olympic team.
💬 Thierry Henry on Real Madrid's refusal to release its players for the Olympics: "I knew it was going to be difficult [...] I saw the refusal email, I suspected it, I didn't stop at one no, we'll see what we can do but it's getting difficult » pic.twitter.com/vvmoe7Bmfy
— the L’Équipe channel (@lachainelequipe) March 18, 2024
Indecisions which force Thierry Henry to multiply the possibilities to constitute his group.
“We have to survey everyone a little.
We don't know when it will be a yes, a no... It's difficult to be able to prepare something without certainty.
There are quite a few names we would like to have, yes.
All the names, even (laughs).
If the yes comes and the player changes clubs, or there is a change of coach, things could change.
You have to plan for different situations,” he explained.
Thierry Henry must put together a list of 18 players and 4 reserves by the Games.
In the meantime, his group, which Rayan Cherki has just joined after the withdrawals of Chotard and Rutter, must face Ivory Coast and the United States on March 22 and 25 in Châteauroux then Sochaux.