Thierry Henry is the coach of the France U21 national team and he will have the responsibility of guiding Les Bleus in the upcoming competition. The job of his is to choose a team of 18 players with four reserves in which only three can be over 23 years old.
Even if Mbappe, Griezmann and Giroud, who are world champions, are strong candidates for the squad, Saliba has a chance of being selected as an U23 player.
Philippe Diallo, the French football federation president, called on Henry to pick the best players, saying that the team’s goal is to make a good impression at the competition.
Nevertheless, Arsenal can turn down the request of William Saliba to play in the Olympics as it is not FIFA-recognized. Nevertheless, the allure of a golden medal in the domestic soil could be more powerful for the chosen players.
William Saliba was one of the players picked for the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, but he had to leave the team so he could join his new club Arsenal at the pre-season.
The situation is further complicated by the European Championship in Germany, where France coach Didier Deschamps is expected to select William Salib.
🚨 Thierry Henry wants to select William Saliba in the French squad for the 2024 Olympics, meaning he could miss the start of the 2024/25 PL season.
However, as the tournament is not recognised by UEFA, Arsenal can block this request. 🚫 pic.twitter.com/Nd4RtyIv1V
— DailyAFC (@DailyAFC) March 16, 2024
The tournament, which takes place between 14 June and 14 July, will require participating players to take extra rest before the start of pre-season with their clubs.
The Olympic football tournament, which runs between 24 July and 9 August, culminates just a week before the possible start of the 2024/25 Premier League season on 16 August. If Saliba plays and France progress to the final, his chances of starting the Premier League season at Arsenal will be significantly reduced.
