Deschamps and Henry reduce Mbappé’s chances of competing in the Paris 2024 Games – 03/14/2024 – Sport

Kylian Mbappé wants to participate with France in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, but his chances were reduced this Thursday (14) after statements by coaches Didier Deschamps and Thierry Henry, who highlighted the obstacles that his inclusion would have.

Mbappé, 25, is currently playing his farewell season with Paris Saint-Germain. He will certainly wear the French team’s shirt at the European Championship, which will be held from June to July in Germany. But he also dreams of being included in the squad for the Olympic tournament, reserved for under-23s, but with each team having the possibility of filling three places with older players.

This Thursday (14), the coach of the French national team, Didier Deschamps, and the coach of the under-21 and Olympic team, Thierry Henry, announced the squads for the games this March and spoke to the press about the case of Mbappe.

“It’s very difficult on a psychological and physical level to be able to combine two competitions like these, without taking a vacation,” said Deschamps about the possibility of Mbappé competing consecutively in the European Championship and the Olympic Games, with almost no time off.

Mbappé’s contract with PSG ends on June 30th and the star announced to his managers that he will not renew it. Rumors have been circulating for some time that Real Madrid are the striker’s likely destination, although no official announcement has been made in this regard.

“Teams need their players at the beginning of the season,” Henry recalled.

The big European clubs will start the new season in August and from July onwards they will be immersed in the pre-season, in which in recent years they have carried out several lucrative excursions to North America and Asia.

In any case, Henry did not rule out the idea of ​​counting on Mbappé for the Olympic tournament.

“I don’t know anything for sure. I depend on a yes or no from a club. And even if I have this approval and the club changes coach in the meantime, who tells me that I can count on him at that moment?”

Deschamps highlighted that the names of the oldest players who will compete in the Olympic Games in July and August will be known before preparations begin for the European Championship, which begins on June 14th.