Thierry Henry will use all his influence to convince Real Madrid not to stop their players from taking part in the Paris Olympics.
Arsenal legend Henry is going to be the coach of the French squad competing for a gold medal at their home Games this summer.
Teams will consist of players under 23, with the possibility for coaches to choose three older stars.
Real have players like Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, whom Henry wants to select, but the Spanish club is unwilling to release these two players, who are also likely to play for Les Bleus at Euro 2024.
As the Olympics takes place outside the FIFA calendar, clubs are not required to release their players. However, due to the unique opportunity presented by this summer’s Olympics for French players, Henry hopes that major clubs will be willing to be more flexible.
Henry’s position could also have consequences for Arsenal and Liverpool, with reports earlier this week suggesting that the Gunners’ all-time leading goalscorer would also want to include the services of William Saliba.
‘We are well aware that Real Madrid is a prestigious institution; nonetheless, it’s important to stay firm and try to arrange a meeting via email,’ Henry told RMC.
‘If there is a meeting, we will try to present our case. If the answer remains no, I don’t have the means to try to change their decision,’ Henry said.
Whether Henry’s hopes are achieved will depend on the amount of pressure players are willing to exert on their clubs.
Tchouameni has already expressed his desire to compete but knows Real are likely to have the final say.
‘When Real decided to veto [us going], we can’t really say much,’ Tchouameni said on Thursday.
‘It’s not ideal to be in an uncertain situation with your employer, but we would have liked to do it,” he added.
