The government wants to force clubs to free French sportsmen – Liberation
What to hope to see the tricolor teams align all of their stars during the Olympic Games. The government took advantage of the bill aimed at reforming professional sport, currently debated in the Senate, to make the provision of French athletes compulsory by their clubs during Olympic and paralympic gamesaccording to an amendment adopted this Tuesday, June 10 in the upper house.
« Associations and sports companies are required to make their athletes of French nationality available when they are the subject of a summons aimed at their participation in the Olympic and Paralympic Games »proposes the amendment deposited by the government which envisages sanctions against « Shortcomings » possible.
On the occasion of 2024 OJ,, « Some French sportsmen could not be released by their clubs to participate, as players selected by their federation, in this historic event » Recalls the government to explain the subject of its amendment.
The football tournament notably not being included in the FIFA calendar, the clubs to which the players belong are not required to release them for the competition. In Paris, Thierry Henry, the French coachfor example, could not select the Lille Lucas Chevalier, Lenny Yoro and Bafodé Diakité and the Parisians Warren Zaïre-Emery and Bradley Barcola.
Real Madrid had cut the grass under the foot From the ancient glory of Arsenal by affirming months before the start of the tournament that he would not release his foreign players. For France, it then concerned Eduardo Camavonga, Aurélien Tchouameni, Ferland Mendy and… Kylian Mbappé. All these pitfalls had not prevented Henry and his players from obtaining a silver medal by climbing to the final of the tournament.
Sylvain Ripoll, his predecessor in Tokyo in 2021, had not been so lucky. At the helm of an experimental team, he had been released in the 1st round after two defeats, only one victory and especially 11 goals conceded. “Now, for this competition, the French selection will prevail. We could probably have obtained Olympic gold if it had been the case « In 2024, thought Marie Barsacq, the Minister of Sports in the Hemicycle.
Solicited by senators on the advisability of expanding the measure to other competitions, such as the international youth championships, the Minister acknowledged that there was « Impacts to be measured » and that the government was not « wall » in his reflection at this stage. « But it’s a project that you can open » In the rest of the debates on this law, which will continue in the coming months in the National Assembly, added the Minister.
The subject has been talked about in recent days compared to the European Espoirs Championship that starts on Wednesday, for which France will be deprived of several players not released by their clubs.
