Olise finds no silver lining against unstoppable Spain so should men’s football really be in the Olympics?
Is there a place for men’s football in the Olympic Games? Michael Olise and Great Britain seem to think not but tell Spain and Alexandre Lacazette that.
Michael Olise stood on the second step of the Olympic podium and took off his silver medal with a look of thinly veiled disgust.
Across town Katarina Johnson-Thompson, one of the great athletes of this sporting era, clutched a medal of the same colour and beamed: “I’m just so, so happy I’ve got an Olympic medal.”
Richard Kilty, forced to give back his silver in Tokyo after a British relay teammate failed a doping test, was so excited to win a bronze he thought he would burst.
“My heart was beating,” he said of the men’s 4x100m final. “I was just thinking, please, please, please.”
Back at Parc des Princes, Olise buried his medal in his pocket, endured the anthems, then walked past the ranks of media while avoiding all eye contact and any questions about France’s 5-3 extra-time loss to Spain.
It was the first time in 40 years his country had made the podium in football and Bayern Munich’s £50million summer signing from Crystal Palace enjoyed an outstanding tournament.
The 22-year old scored in France’s opener against USA and in their semi-final win over Egypt. In last night’s epic he was again their best player, providing the assist which sparked a thrilling recovery from 3-1 down in the last 11 minutes.
Ultimately, it was to no avail as Spain did what Spain do. To borrow from European football expert Gabriele Marcotti: “They don’t play finals, they just win finals.”
Two goals from super-sub Sergio Camello ensured Jean-Philippe Mateta’s 93rd-minute penalty equaliser counted for nothing and extended the astonishing winning run of Spanish men’s teams in major football finals to 28.
“What a summer,” said Alex Baena who, along with two-goal Fermin Lopez, was adding Olympic gold to Euro 2024 glory. “I hope this summer never ends so we can continue winning.”
Spain currently hold the men’s Euros, Nations League, UEFA Under-19 and, now, Olympic titles.
Their name is also on the women’s World Cup, Nations League, U20 and U17 World Cups and U19 and U17 UEFA titles. Oh, and not forgetting, Real Madrid hold the men’s Champions League.
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Spain played their full part in the drama, responding to Arnau Tenas’ early goalkeeping blunder with three goals in 10 minutes.
An action-packed contest captivated a full house and provided the best argument yet for the inclusion of men’s football in the Olympics.
Yet when players see an Olympic silver as the ‘losers’ medal it represents in major football finals, one questions whether the men’s game truly merits its place.
Listen to Frank Leboeuf on ESPN FC. “I enjoyed it but I still think football should not be part of the Olympics,” the former Chelsea and France star said. “It’s not in the spirit of the Olympics. It’s not even a sport of the Olympics.”
Leboeuf admitted he would not have watched the game had it not been part of his punditry job, “if I wasn’t forced to do so, if I wasn’t advised by my boss.”
He added: “It was great entertainment (but) I still think I shouldn’t watch those games.”
It is different for the women’s game. Their Olympic tournament is still seen as the pinnacle. For a start it is open to everyone, whereas the men’s competition is restricted to those under the age of 23 for all but three of the squad.
France boss Thierry Henry joked that the last time he received so many rejections “was at university”, referring to the refusal of clubs to release stars such as Kylian Mbappe, who had said he wanted to take part in his hometown Games.
Great Britain do not even field a men’s team as the home nations can’t agree on a selection process.
Their loss is the gain of others, most notably Spain who use the tournament to develop players that, you can be sure, will be lighting up the World Cup in 2026.
We know this because the team that reached the Olympic final in Tokyo three summers ago, losing in extra-time to Brazil, featured Unai Simon, Mikel Merino, Dani Olmo and Mikel Oyarzabal – the quartet among those who broke English hearts in this summer’s Euros showpiece.
Sure, they are helped by Spanish law which demands clubs release their players for Olympic Games. But it is more than that. Spain do not waste any big stage opportunity to improve.
“This has been a long time coming,” Marcotti told ESPN. “The [Spanish FA] have invested a lot of money, they have a ton of expertise, they’ve got wonderful infrastructure up and down the country, there’s so much competition, on the men’s side and the women’s side as well.
“It’s been like this for a good decade and they’re bearing the fruits again. You saw that again in the men’s Euros when there weren’t that many superstars, Rodri aside, in the team. And yet they came together and deservedly won the tournament, winning seven out of seven. There is so much depth. We often overrate mentality and these other intangibles, but they certainly have that.”
Nobody should question the desire of Henry’s France to emulate the gold medal-winning team of 1984, VIP guests at last night’s final.
The class of ’24 lit up the tournament wherever they played: Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux, Lyon and, finally, Paris.
And if Olise looked less than thrilled with life on the podium, his captain Alexandre Lacazette provided a counter-balance in his final match in a France shirt.
“This remains my best silver medal,” said the former Arsenal star with a smile. “I’ve lost a few finals in my career… let’s say this is the least bad.
“I remember the adventure, the fact I was able to wear the blue jersey again, the atmosphere between us. This will remain for life.”
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