Chelsea didn’t do as well as they had hoped in the Premier League this year, finishing outside of the top five spots and losing key games by large margins (like a 6-0 defeat to Arsenal FC in North London). But, they still showed promise with the likes of Cole Palmer getting assists and goals, his first England call-up, and Sterling performing better in his attacking roles.
However, just because some players stepped up and fit into a role in the starting eleven, it doesn’t mean all is well in the club. Chelsea has just announced they are blocking some of their squad members from being allowed to participate in the Olympics for their home country. Not only will this cause a riff between players, but it could lead to issues between players and the coaching staff, board, and club as a whole.
FOUR Chelsea Players Not Allowed to be in the Olympics
Three of Chelsea’s players have been disallowed from going to the Olympics with their respective countries. Players want to represent their country at any international tournament, like the World Cup, Euros, or Olympics, But for three players who currently are on contract at the Blues, will not be able to do so.
Chelsea have ‘blocked’ Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk from being allowed to compete with their countries in the Olympic Games this summer. Fernandez is not allowed to participate in Argentina’s training camp or games, and Mudryk will not be permitted to return home to Ukraine to join his country’s squad.
Both of these players already have a lot on their plate this year, including the Premier League, the new season, European Championships, and Copa America. If they were allowed to partake in the Olympics, that would give them no time off between Premier League seasons, leading to potential injury and overplaying before heading into the 2024-2025 campaign.
Chelsea wants to make sure both of these key players have time off before they come back next year to fight for a higher spot in the Prem table. Plus, the club prefers for both of these key players to be in England at the training ground during the entirety of pre-season to avoid missing training sessions, games, friendlies, and tactical debriefs.
Other key players who are not able to attend the Olympics with their home country include Badiashile and Malo Gusto. The new manager of the Blues, Maresca, is adamant the majority of players attend pre-season and avoid overtraining during the summer months.
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Other Clubs Veto Big Tournaments
Chelsea is not the only big club in the world that is preventing their players from committing to international tournaments this summer. Arsenal have refused to let William Saliba represent France at the Euros in Germany this summer. Another similar case is Real Madrid who have refused to let Kylian Mbappe represent his home country at the home Euros event in July.
Theirry Henry, an ex-Arsenal legend and French footballer, has spoken out on the matter.
‘There have not even been negotiations. You go, you ask, they say no and you leave. The GAmes are home once every hundred years. I still remember that I cried when, in qualifying in November 1989, we were eliminated by Italy of Gattuso and Pirlo. I didn’t shed a tear when I won the World Cup, but I cried not to make it to the Sydney Olympics.’
Henry mentions how important the Euros are for players, especially the French players who may never get another chance to play in their home country.
