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Tokyo 2021: Salah, Ramos, Müller ... they too would like to see the Olympics

2021-03-27T07:43:23.482Z


Several stars of world football want to compete in the Games to aim, like Messi or Neymar, for Olympic gold.


Like Kylian Mbappé, other stars have already publicly communicated their desire to discover the Olympic Games.

The men's football tournament involves 16 teams, including France, Spain, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Egypt and Côte d'Ivoire.

Great nations with a huge pool of players.

For men, only those under 23 (born after January 1, 1997, a rule that should apply in 2020) can be selected.

But each nation is entitled to three "jokers" with no age limit.

In the past, superstars have participated in the Olympics.

Like Lionel Messi, Neymar or Samuel Eto'o, sacred with Argentina (2008), Brazil (2016) or Cameroon.

Kylian Mbappé would have dreamed of imitating them in Tokyo (Japan) this year.

But he is not the only one.

Older players are thinking about it, like Sergio Ramos.

The 34-year-old Spanish defender of Real Madrid has won everything in his career, at club and national level.

The Games represent the only great distinction absent above his fireplace.

Zidane "supports" Ramos

Ramos communicated his will to the Spanish Federation in 2020, after the Tokyo Games were postponed for a year.

"It's a very good idea," he expressed publicly in the fall.

No one would refuse such an event.

I am very moved every time I wear the Spain jersey.

"

"If Sergio wants to go, I will support him," encouraged his coach at Real, Zinedine Zidane.

The decision is now in the hands of Sergio Ramos and the Spanish Federation.

La Roja has qualified for the Euro and will be one of the contenders for the final victory.

Chaining the two competitions - the Euro ends on July 11, the Olympics start on July 21 for football - seems risky for a 34-year-old player.

Especially since the Covid-19 health crisis has somewhat tightened the schedule.

A point that does not cool the star of Liverpool, Mohamed Salah.

This week, the Egyptian coach confided the wishes of the left-hander: “I have made it known publicly that I would like to have him with us during our Olympic campaign and he did not refuse, which means he also wants play with us.

Salah's participation in the Olympics is supported by the state.

»With the aim of offering the Pharaohs their first gold medal.

Megan Rapinoe with USA

German Thomas Müller, dismissed from the Mannschaft in March 2019 by coach Joachim Löw, is also one of the candidates for the Olympics.

The 31-year-old Bayern Munich striker should not be.

Unlike his compatriot Mats Hummels, Müller was not included in the list of 30 players communicated to the German Anti-Doping Agency for the Games, according to information from the SID press agency.

Overall, the football stars are still absent from this competition for historical reasons (divorce between Fifa and CIO, calendar…).

So, even if the Brazilian Federation dreams of it, there is hardly any chance of seeing Neymar in Tokyo next July.

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But what is valid for men is not for women, whose attendance at the tournament is not limited by age.

Beaten in the quarter-finals of “their” World Cup in 2019, the French women did not qualify.

They will see the United States, Canada, Sweden, Brazil and eight other nations compete for the gold medal.

And the stars Megan Rapinoe or Alex Morgan will be there.

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2021-03-27

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