Club vs. Country, Olympics Style. Who Will Get to Play?
One factor that’s going to add an extra twist to soccer in the upcoming Olympics? Whether or not clubs will allow their players to play.
The Olympics is an odd animal. As we’ve talked about before, it’s a U-23 tournament. Except not quite. Each team is allowed three over-age players. I’m still working to find official rules for which players, if any, are required to be released by FIFA rules. Clubs are definitely not required to release the over-23 players, but the U-23 rules seem a bit…nebulous. (The official, 56-page FIFA Olympic rules and regulations are here. Hope you have more luck finding the info you want than I did. Although I did find the utterly fascinating rules about shirt numbering. Plus Sepp Blatter’s official phone number. Just fyi.)
The Bundesliga clubs Werder Bremen and FC Schalke 04 have said they’re not going to release Diego and Rafinha, respectively, to Brazil. (Both players are pictured, with Diego on the left.) Both are U-23 players, but Werder Bremen is saying that it doesn’t expect any FIFA sanctions. If anybody can explain to me how this works, I’ll be your best friend forever. Or at least till tomorrow at noon.
And today, Barcelona announced that it won’t be releasing Ronaldinho to Brazil, and they’re apparently trying to stop younger player Lionel Messi from playing for Argentina as well. (Goal.com seems to believe that the U-23 players’ desires are the deciding factor. If that’s the case, Messi will play in the Olympics.)
And Bayern Munich has said that Martin Dimichelis (Argentina), Lucio (Brazil) and Mark von Bommel (Netherlands), all older players, would not be released if called. But they are releasing their younger players, Breno (Brazil) and Jose Ernesto Sosa (Argentina).
So far the Brazilians seem to be the country most affected, although not all squads have been named. They may be feeling this most strongly because so many Brazilians play abroad, and foreign teams have nothing to gain by allowing foreign players to go to the Olympics. I mean, it’s not as if German or Spanish national pride will be affected if Brazil doesn’t field their strongest team.
A lot of factors are in play in the decision, though. Leagues like MLS or Brazil are in mid-season. Several other leagues, like the German Bundesliga, start in August. Letting international players go for what could be several weeks could have a real impact on how a club’s season ends up. And, as with all international duty, there’s the very real possibility of injury.
Another consideration could even be the fact that a club releasing a player to play for another nation might lessen the chances of success for the club’s home country. (I’m not saying that’s definitely happening. Just that it’s a possibility.)
Whatever the reasons, we shouldn’t expect to see the first-choice side of every country.
I’m going to be optimistic here and say that we should expect a….a…an interesting lack of predictability. Is that so bad?
UPDATE: Reader “Pseudinho” (and is that a great pseudonym or what?) found me a semmi-clarification of the rules at ESPN. It basically says what I thought: The U-23 rules are a bit…nebulous. And FIFA will be offering clarification in the next few days. (And Diego and Rafinha may be playing after all.) Stay tuned and we’ll keep you updated.
Clubs are not obligated to release players over the age of 23 - of which three are allowed per nation under Olympics rules - for the tournament.
However, FIFA principles state clubs should make available any player aged 23 or under who is called up to their country’s Olympic squad.
A FIFA statement released to PA Sport said: ‘The release of players younger than 23 for the Olympic Football Tournament since 1992 has always been accepted by all clubs. For Beijing 2008, the same principle shall apply.’
However, with clubs expressing displeasure at their players being called up this year, FIFA are to release another statement in the next 48 hours clarifying the regulations.
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Comments
By Matthew Kimel | July 8th, 2008 at 8:12 pm 
The clubs better let them play!
Posted from 
United States
By elle | July 8th, 2008 at 10:03 pm -3 chance points for Brazil
By Pseudinho | July 9th, 2008 at 6:29 am The clubs should let them play. I thought that’s why they disbanded the G14 when UEFA, FIFA, and the Clubs agreed on Compensation packages for players that had international duty. These clubs know going in that if they have a quality player there is a chance he’s gonna be called for international duty. I hear the club v. country debate all the time and very seldom is the most popular club team in that country more popular than the national team and that’s usually only because of the international consumers of that club team. During major international tournaments whole countries get behind their team, in this case players would only miss out on a max of 4-5 club team games. And that’s if the club has a congested fixture list in August most players would just be missing out with preseason training and maybe 2 games if that. Some players won’t even miss any actual games and there clubs are trying to withhold them. It’s not as if these players are missing cup finals. A major thing like the Olympics needs to be supported by these clubs, because without the Olympics these clubs would have never existed in the first place because athletic competition would have never happened. If these leagues don’t want there players missing games they could always push the season back a couple weeks and it wouldn’t affect anything because come late may and early June no international tournaments would be affected. The Confederations Cup doesn’t start until June 14th and that only affects players from 8 countries. I hear the same gripe with the African Cup of Nations and clubs bitching about there players leaving in mid January for 3 weeks. Well, if you sign an African player you know there is a chance he may have to leave every 2 years in mid January to go play for his country. I know there are some qualifying games for Champions League play which would suck if your a Barcelona and you lose Messi for that, but that’s part of the consequences you pay when you finish 3rd the prior season. Villarreal is letting all there players play because they finished 2nd and don’t gave any games that count until after the Olympics is over. It’s all how you schedule things and these clubs and national leagues knew going in that this event was at this time. Wise up a little and schedule around it. Or just push some of those games to later dates during a midweek when there is no games.
Posted from United States
By Pseudinho | July 9th, 2008 at 6:33 am And here is a clarification by FIFA on the rule you wanted.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=554340&sec=global&cc=5901
Posted from United States
By Laurie | July 9th, 2008 at 7:59 am Pseudinho, Perfect! Just what I was looking for.
(Great name, btw.)
Posted from United States
By Hawk | July 9th, 2008 at 9:59 am I think Barca did a bad move not letting Ronaldinho go to the Olimpics.
He would have tried to do good there and he would get back into his good form and drop some weight. This way he is going to get angry at Barca and want to leave even more. I don’t know why. There is no better club then Barca. Milan are retarded, can’t even get 4th in the Series A with such great players. He want to go that excuse of a club?
Posted from United States
By Mauro | July 9th, 2008 at 2:29 pm Argentina has been deeply affected by European clubs deciding which players to let go and which not to.
Right off the bat, Martin Demichelis was told before the end of the Bundesliga season not the expect to play in the Olympics despite letting him play a few friendlies with the U23 squad.
Nicolas Burdisso was also told by his club, Inter Milan, that he was not going to be playing in the Olympics but this was after coach Sergio Batista has released his list of players he was expecting to show up.
Fabricio Coloccini was also on the list but not allowed to play by his club Deportivo la Coruña.
Gabriel Heinze was also considered but Real Madrid did not allow it.
And Barsa is campaigning hardcore to try to keep Lionel Messi from participating. But it seems out of this list, he’s going to be able to make it since he is under 23 and able to play.
With this said, thanks to Liverpool and Boca Juniors, who gave up Javier Mascherano and Juan Roman Riquelme respectively, without complaint.
And also, thanks to Anderlecht who is allowing Nicolas Pareja to play the Olympics in the place of the four aforementioned central defenders.
Posted from United States
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