The Olympics are in full swing and after Team GB's
impressive victory over Uruguay and march into the knockout rounds, Olympic
football fever is gripping the country (OK, got people mildly interested in
between the weight lifting and dressage). We'll have our thoughts on British progress
in the next day or so but in the meantime check out this piece from the archive
written in the lead up to the Beijing Games
Originally posted on July 29th 2008
It may not be the most
traditional of ancient Olympic sports but with Messi, Pato and Ronaldinho all
on show, football looks set to be one of the hottest tickets in Beijing this
summer
When
one thinks of the different sports and events that make up the modern day Olympic
Games, those of the track and field or those in the pool instantly come to
mind. The classical image associated with the Olympics is that of the runner or
the discuss thrower, evoking memories of the first Olympians way back in
ancient Greece. However one of the most watched sporting events of the whole
competition is one that does not immediately spring to mind, despite it being
the most popular sport in the world, that being of course football.Football has its own traditions and history in the Olympics, it has been a part of the games since the beginning of the 20th century with footballers first competing in 1900. Up until the 1970's countries were only allowed to be represented by amateurs but now a whole host of the world's top names are set to do battle for the gold medal. Amongst the players making up the Olympic squads of the 16 nations taking part are some genuine world class superstars at the world's biggest teams; names such as Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Ronaldinho (AC Milan), Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid), Diego (Werder Bremen), Juan Roman Riquelme (Boca Jnrs.), Ryan Babel (Liverpool) and Alexandre Pato (AC Milan) show why the football is so highly regarded by the spectators at the games.
Looking at the nationalities of those listed above it also becomes abundantly clear just how seriously the competition is taken within South America and also the depth in the talent pool that countries like Brazil and particularly Argentina currently possess. The squad chosen by Brazil, that alongside the AC Milan pair mentioned above also features Manchester United's Anderson and Liverpool's Lucas Leiva reflects the burning desire that the Brazilians have to bring home gold as it is the one major international tournament missing from their extensive trophy cabinet. The fact that it was arch rivals Argentina who carried home the Olympic Crown so impressively last time around making this doubly galling.
The contrast with how the Olympic tournament is received in Europe, particularly the UK is a marked one. The continent where a lot of the top players competing ply their day to day trade, it is fair to say is far less embracing of the competition, particularly by team managers. The Olympic competition is in fact though, as Jamie Jackson writes in the observer; "a de facto under-23 World Cup". This reflects that since 1992 and the Barcelona games that squads are comprised of younger players under the age of 23, along with three ‘over-age' slots that can be taken, hence Ronaldinho's presence. The youthful and vibrant nature of the teams competing has had a lot to do with the growing interest in the tournament as there is both the chance to see the stars of the future (like the impact of top scorer Carlos Tevez four years ago) and the chance to see what is often a lot of fast paced, exciting and attacking football.
To the major clubs of Europe, the Olympics is however something not to get excited about. The preparation for the tournament means a number of players missing large parts of pre-season and the games themselves will also clash with the opening weeks of the new season, making a number of players unavailable for selection. As the squads were being announced FIFA President Sepp Blatter issued a letter to those clubs involved reminding them that the release of players under the age of 23 is mandatory. For those older players, there is something of a grey area. AC Milan are not ecstatic about Ronaldinho's involvement but the decision for him to play was made before his transfer. Rafa Benitez at Liverpool has been open in his anger that midfielder Javier Mascherano has been selected to play but has been forced to recognise the desire of many of the players themselves to take part, as Mascherano himself has said "it is very important for any footballer to win the Olympics".
And it's hard to see why this would not be the case. The Olympics is often held up as the ultimate in sporting competition, the ultimate accolade for any sporting competitor being a gold medal around their neck. This is obviously the case for any athlete who takes up the long jump or who dreams of being a gymnast but for a footballer there are also those hopes there. Winning the World Cup is still undeniably the pinnacle for those aspiring footballers growing up, but the Olympics has a heritage and a history unmatched in sports with its links to the first Olympians centuries ago. It is not hard to see why footballers around the world, as athletes would want to take part.
Perhaps this is where the fact that in Europe the Champions League is so all consuming may play a part in obscuring the Olympics lustre. In the different parts of the UK it is also difficult to perhaps empathise with the situation and the event given the lack of British involvement in the competition.
Within all other sports featured at the Olympics, athletes from the British Isles will compete under the banner of ‘Great Britain and Northern Ireland'. Thus the team itself will be comprised of athletes hailing from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. When it comes to football however there is no ‘Great Britain'. Internationally in attempting to qualify for tournaments the four nations listed above have separate football teams with each being fiercely independent. In the past any calls for a combined ‘Team GB' in football have been aggressively shot down by both the national FA's of the countries as well as supporters.
When it comes to football it would seem that those from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland would welcome no part of a team representing the British Isles, even if it was just for Olympic tournaments. To those in the component parts of the United Kingdom the national football team is about an identity that they don't want to see stripped away. The passion and love for football that exists in the UK means that far more than any other sport fans are determined to keep their teams separate. It is unlikely that anytime soon you will hear loud and concerted cries from Scotland and Northern Ireland that they would like an independent rowing team just like you would have been unlikely to have heard that people in Wales being overtly angry that Colin Jackson was running the hurdles for Great Britain and not explicitly for the Welsh.
Another part of the reluctance on the part of the various football associations to come together and think about the creation of a Great Britain team to compete at the Olympics is the fear that this would be the first step towards FIFA removing the independent footballing status of the four teams and the possibility that this would lead to the permanent notion of a Great Britain football side that would enter World Cups and European Championships.
It will be interesting to see then what sort of reaction there will be to the Olympic football when it comes to the London games in 2012. Will the quest for the football gold medal still continue to be shunned and distrusted in more European climes? In four years time however it is very much as Jackson writes the desire of the British Olympic association to be entering a Team GB and they "hope that a way can be found to allow the four Home Country's FA's to agree to let their players put themselves forward for selection". Despite Sepp Blatter's claim that it will not impact on the home nation's footballing status there is still vehement opposition and it remains a political minefield.
For the other nations around the world, particularly those in South America, Asia and Africa the chance to compete in the football at Olympic Games is an exciting time and something which players very much look forward to. For years now club managers and officials have been increasingly trying to chip away at the international game but the overwhelming desire and passion of the players to compete is refreshing to see. Many now, particularly in Europe appeared to be growing jaded and unresponsive to the international game, with the lure of the Champions League being far more appealing. Likewise it has seemed like we have been getting to a point where players were not as excited about representing their countries anymore with a slew of earlier and earlier ‘international retirements'. In the seemingly never ending battle between ‘club and country', international football appeared to be losing out.
The buzz around Euro 2008 and the great attacking football on display shows that the war has not been lost completely though by the countries, international games still have that appeal. The passion and excitement surrounding the Olympic tournament from the likes of those in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aries would also appear to show that there is some vitality left in the international arena. Maybe the fact that for a number of people the Olympic football tournament is so special and an event that they have grown up dreaming of being at means that it can be used as another boost to the international game.
Sadly though, what with the congestion we already currently have with the fixture list and the number of other tournaments already taking place, it is unlikely that it will ever become more prominent. Maybe in 2012, if a Team GB does take part, it will begin to get a bit more of the love that exists for it elsewhere in the world. Until then though, if you want to see some of the most exciting young players from around the world then take the time out to drag yourself away from the Javelin or the pole vault for a little while and enjoy the ancient Olympic sport of football, just like the Greeks always intended it to be.
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