The French Olympic football team coach, Thierry Henry, announced his preliminary 25-man squad for the upcoming Olympic Games football tournament on Monday. Surprisingly, star players Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann were left off the list. Despite their desire to participate in the Paris Games, their respective clubs in Spain have refused to release them for the tournament.
Both Mbappe and Griezmann will be focusing on the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany, where Mbappe will lead France as the captain. Coach Henry expressed optimism about including Mbappe in the Olympic squad but acknowledged the challenges of finalizing the list without confirmation from the clubs.
Among the players named in the preliminary list are Paris Saint-Germain duo Warren Zaire-Emery and Bradley Barcola, as well as Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette. However, there is still room for adjustments as the final deadline for squad selections is on July 3. PSG has reportedly declined to release Zaire-Emery and Barcola due to their commitments at Euro 2024.
Despite the limitations on overage players, Henry decided to include 33-year-old Lacazette in the squad alongside Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta. The team will begin training on June 16 and play friendly matches against Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, and Japan in preparation for the Olympic competition starting on July 24.
In the Olympics, France will compete in a group with the United States, New Zealand, and Guinea. Coach Henry remains hopeful that the team can overcome challenges and perform well in the tournament.