What do Tigres striker André-Pierre Gignac and Lens defender Clément Michelin have in common? Both went through the TFC, and both will play in the Tokyo Olympics with the France team.
The coach of the French Olympic team Sylvain Ripoll announced on Friday a list of 18 players and a reservist, in which also appear Florian Thauvin and Eduardo Camavinga.
The 1️⃣8️⃣ players (and one reservist) selected by Sylvain Ripoll to participate in the Tokyo Olympic Games, which will be held from July 21 to August 7, 2021 🇫🇷
Subject to validation by the CNOSF Olympic Selections Advisory Commission pic.twitter.com/avUnPANUSm
– France team ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) June 25, 2021
While he had the right to select four reservists, Ripoll retained only one, the goalkeeper of Sochaux (Ligue 2) Maxence Prévot.
Several international A
But its list includes several international A, starting with Gignac and Thauvin, who both play in Mexico, with the Monterrey Tigers, the only club to have released two players for the France team. Jonathan Ikoné and Rennais Eduardo Camavinga have also already played with Didier Deschamps’ A’s.
Besides Gignac and Thauvin, the third player to be chosen outside the age limit is Montpellier midfielder Teji Savanier. For the Olympic tournament, the coaches must retain players born after January 1, 1997, with the exception of three non-quota elements.
While many clubs had initially refused to release their players for this Olympic tournament, which does not appear in the official Fifa calendar, Ripoll finally obtained the selection of several elements who were executives of the last two generations of Hopes , like Benoît Badiashile, the Niçois Amine Gouiri or the former Lyonnais Lucas Tousart (Hertha Berlin).
The Olympic football tournament runs from July 21 to August 7. France will face Mexico, Japan, the host country, and South Africa in the group stage.