June 4th 2024.
Thierry Henry made a big decision in his role as coach of the French Olympic team, including Alexandre Lacazette in his provisional squad of 25 players. This came as a huge surprise to Lacazette, who was taken aback by the news of his selection. As much as he was honored by the call-up, the Lyon captain has yet to decide whether he will accept the opportunity or not.
Lacazette has had an impressive season with Lyon, scoring a total of 22 goals and leading his team to a respectable sixth-place finish in Ligue 1. However, the 33-year-old was completely blindsided by the unexpected inclusion in the squad for the upcoming Olympics in Paris. Reports from French outlet L'Équipe reveal that Lacazette found out about the news while on holiday, and even his club Lyon had no prior knowledge of the plans before Henry's press conference on Monday.
At the moment, Lacazette is still contemplating whether he should accept the call-up or not. If he does decide to join the team, it would mark his first appearance for the national team since 2017. Aside from the Olympic opportunity, the striker is also considering his future at Lyon, with interest coming from Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadisah, who recently earned promotion to the top-flight.
Henry, who will announce his final 18-man squad for the tournament next month, has previously tried to persuade top players like Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann to join the Olympic team. However, both players declined the opportunity. The coach also faced rejection from Chelsea when he attempted to include defenders Malo Gusto and Benoit Badiashile in the squad. Although the Blues have agreed to release midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu for the tournament, Henry understands their hesitation to let go of more players.
When asked about the clubs' reluctance to release players, Henry stated, "I'm either disappointed or surprised, but unfortunately, the clubs have the right to refuse. I have been saying this since the beginning of the discussions about the Olympics. We knew that this was a possibility, and while we hoped for a different outcome, we were prepared for this response."
The Olympic football tournaments, both for men and women, will take place from 24 July to 10 August. As for Arsenal fans, they can expect to see some changes in the team's roster, with 22 players leaving and ongoing contract negotiations with three players. Stay updated on all the latest news, exclusives, and analysis by signing up for our newsletter. Your privacy is important to us, and we are committed to protecting it. This site is secured by reCAPTCHA and is subject to Google's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
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