This Monday, June 3, Thierry Henry unveiled a pre-list of 25 players who will compete in the Olympic Games tournament. The Lyonnais Alexandre Lacazette is one of them, as are the Parisians Warren Zaire-Emery and Bradley Barcola.
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“ After this list, there will be discussion with clubs », admitted Thierry Henry who is not sure of winning his case after the announcement of his list. Indeed, Paris Saint-Germain, where Bradley Barcola and Warren Zaire-Emery play, has already made it clear that it is not going to release its players for the Olympic tournament. The two players are in Didier Deschamps’ squad for Euro 2024. In the meantime, the coach has made it clear that the list is “not not closed “. The former French international has no certainty about the squad he will have at his disposal next July. “ There will be three players over 23, but I can’t tell you more. It is not easy with the clubs, who are within their right to retain them », conceded Thierry Henry. The final list promises to be a headache for Thierry Henry who must deal with the club agreement and the summer transfer window which could disrupt choices.
Thierry Henry, who relied on the backbone of the Espoirs group that he also manages to constitute his pre-list, did not retain two executives from the youth selections, the Lyonnais Rayan Cherki and the Lensois Elye Wahi. He did not, as expected, select Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann, two executives of the Blues who had expressed their desire to participate in the Paris Games, but whose clubs, Real Madrid where Mbappé must commit at the start of week, and Atletico for Griezmann, have already affirmed that they will not release them.
The players will meet in Clairefontaine on June 16 and will play a first friendly match against Paraguay on July 4 in Bayonne. They will then face the Dominican Republic on July 11, then Japan on July 17, before starting the Olympics against the United States on July 24 in Marseille.
Henry’s pre-list for the Olympics
Guardians: Lucas Chevalier (Lille), Guillaume Restes (Toulouse), Obed Nkambadio (Paris FC), Robin Risser (Dijon);
Defenders: Kiliann Sildillia (Fribourg), Bafodé Diakité (Lille), Castello Lukeba (Leipzig), Maxime Estève (Burnley), Lenny Yoro (Lille), Adrien Truffert (Rennes), Bradley Locko (Brest);
Midfielders: Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG), Khéphren Thuram (Nice), Manu Koné (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco), Enzo Millot (Stuttgart), Andy Diouf (Lens), Joris Chotard (Montpellier), Désiré Doué (Rennes) , Lesley Ugochukwu (Chelsea);
Attackers: Bradley Barcola (PSG), Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Matthys Tel (Bayern Munich), Michael Olise (Crystal Palace), Arnaud Kalimuendo (Rennes).