FRANCE
French government keen on Mbappé playing at the Olympics - but will he go?
With those in politics yet to make a decision, it remains to be seen how much pressure will be put on Mbappé to play at both the Euros and Olympics.
French politics has already shown in recent years, especially with Mbappé, that it can exert its influence within football. In 2022, the President of the country, Emmanuel Macron, stuck his nose in as the negotiations for Mbappé's renewal with Paris Saint-Germain were ongoing.
It has been well documented that the French captain’s future probably lies away from Paris, and the player reportedly confirmed this in a meeting with Al Khelaïfi in February; as for the government, they are keen on him confirming his presence at the upcoming Paris Olympic Games.
As reported by L’Équipe, the chances of seeing Mbappé in Paris representing the French national team have been reduced in recent weeks, to such an extent that few are now confident in saying that he will be called up.
The striker is aware that in the summer he will change teams: he prioritises the Euros and playing two tournaments in just one month would be an unsustainable physical and mental load in a year in which his life, due to his more than likely transfer to Real Madrid, will change completely.
Macron wants Olympic Gold record
Two weeks ago, at the Élysée Palace, Mbappé, Al Khelaïfi, Macron, the Emir of Qatar and other French politicians attended a dinner at which, among many other topics, the question of the Olympic Games came up.
The forward’s dream remains to represent his country at the Olympic tournament, but the events that will undoubtedly occur in the coming months, the most important being the as yet unconfirmed change of team, in addition to the Euros, have all but put a stop to this agenda juggling act.
Also present at that dinner, though unnoticed, was Tony Estanguet, head of the Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games, who plans to meet with Mbappé in the coming days, as advanced by RMC Sport. His task will be to discuss everything concerning the historic sporting event. Macron has privately reiterated that he wants to break France’s medal record, so it cannot be ruled out that he is immersed in talks with top athletes, including Mbappé.
‘The Paris Games are a real dream for Mbappé’
Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, contacted by RMC Sport, said. “I believe that the Paris Games are a real dream for [Mbappé], and that his participation in them is a dream for all of us. As we also know, for a player of his stature and level, difficult decisions have to be made every day when it comes to managing his career and his trajectory.”
“I have always said that Kylian Mbappé, wherever he is and wherever he plays, makes France shine, and he will have our support no matter what. I know that we will manage to have the most competitive team possible around Thierry Henry, who has everything to build a strong squad, with young talents and veteran members of the French national team, many of whom are eager to participate in the Games,” she said.
Macron is also keeping an eye on Mbappé's situation. The President of the Republic believes that France can win gold and for that Henry, U23 coach, must bring the most competitive team possible. However, the idea of forcing Real Madrid to let him go is not in his mind, since the Euros and the Olympics Games could force him to rejoin his new team almost at the beginning of September and without having completed pre-season.
Madrid not keen on seeing stars leave over summer
In France, this Thursday, it was reported in different media that Real Madrid had already notified the French Football Federation, by mail, that they were not going to loan any player for the Olympic Games. As it is not considered a FIFA date, the clubs have the last word even if the players are called up by their respective national coaches.
Los Blancos do not want the eligible players in their squad to dispute both the Euros and the Olympic Games in the same summer. If the arrival of Mbappé is confirmed, it would be impossible to see him with Henry’s side; the same goes for Camavinga, although the player has no intention to force the club’s hand to let him play, as he confirmed several months ago.
Henry’s idea was to call up Giroud, Griezmann and Mbappé as players over the age of 23 (FIFA only allows three) to represent Les Bleus. With Real Madrid’s wagging finger and shaking head all but guaranteed, Atlético could follow suit and also refuse to release their all-time leading scorer.
Although the senior coach, Didier Deschamps, has already assured that he has “nothing to decide” regarding the Olympic Games squad list, the case is not the same for those in politics, who have not yet given their final decision and could press certain buttons to see France’s star man in a tournament in which the Gold medal has become an absolute priority at the highest levels.