The now official postponement of the Olympic Games has its share of repercussions in all disciplines. After the calculations of apothecaries about the qualified teams, it is necessary to wonder about the names of the players selected to take part in the Olympic adventure. An Olympic sport since the second edition of the Games in Paris (in 1900), football has its share of very specific rules. Thus, each of the 16 qualified nations can only present players under the age of 23, except for a maximum of three players. "Will the current U23s remain under 23 for 2021 ?! Otherwise, it's brutal, ”legitimately wondered former American international Taylor Twellman, now a consultant for ESPN .
Does that mean the “current” u23 players remain “under 23” for the event in 2021 ?! Brutal if not. https://t.co/kbfi0dm6Ag
- Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) March 24, 2020When taking the road to the Archipelago this summer (the tournament was scheduled from July 22 to August 8), only players born after January 1, 1997 were therefore eligible. So if the “Tokyo 2020” brand will not change, what about the different regulations? No communication has been made on the subject even if the trend is the status quo according to various media. Conversely, if the age limit were to be pushed back by a year, some would see their Olympic dream vanish. Starting with those who are behind the qualification for Tokyo.
With a qualification for the last four at Euro Espoirs 2019, the Bleuets had composted their ticket for the Archipelago. Among them, the guardian of the temple Paul Bernardoni (Nîmes) will have to closely examine the situation. Born on April 18, 1997, the man who told RMC Sports that the Olympics were "the dream of a lifetime" when qualifying for the semi-finals of the competition last June finds himself de facto threatened. In the same way as the captain of the selection Lucas Tousart (Lyon), born 11 days later than his doorman and who had reiterated his ambition to participate in the Japanese campaign. On the attacking front, Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle) was still eligible with the rules in force, like Marcus Thuram (Mönchengladbach), Martin Terrier (Lyon) and Jean-Philippe Mateta (Mainz), all present with hopes last summer and now threatened.
Kylian Mbappé stays in the nails
Some, however, are not in danger. Promoted captain of the Bleuets by coach Sylvain Ripoll in September, the Lyonnais Jeff-Reine Adélaïde, born in January 1998, will be able to calmly consider participating in the Games when his serious injury will be a thing of the past next year. His friend in the Rhone area Houssem Aouar (June 1998) is not threatened either, as are the neo-internationals Jonathan Ikoné (Lille, born in May 1998) and Matteo Guendouzi (Arsenal, April 1999). No more than Kylian Mbappé (December 1998), who never concealed his intention to participate in the Olympic Games and thus try to succeed his teammate Neymar, winner with Brazil in 2016.
However, this postponement of one year does not obscure the issue of authorization to participate in the competition for players. If PSG had apparently cut it short on the subject of its jewels Mbappé and Neymar for the 2020 edition, nothing says that the decision will differ next year while the situation will be similar since the announcement of the postponement of the Euro at the same time. One thing is certain, the Olympic tournament not being registered on the calendar of Fifa, the clubs will always have the last word. This is a rule that will not change.
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