Atletico Madrid’s France international forward Antoine Griezmann wants to represent his country at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Griezmann made his intentions clear in an interview published in French newspaper Le Monde. His words will no doubt set alarm bells ringing at his club, given that he could also play at Euro 2024 earlier in the summer.
The Olympic Games will run from July 26 to August 11, while Euro 2024 kicks off on June 14, with the final a month later.
That schedule would leave Griezmann — and any other player competing in both tournaments — with little recovery time between competitions. He would also miss several games at the start of the 2024-2025 La Liga season, set to kick off on August 17.
However, Griezmann explained that he doesn’t want to miss a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “Having the Games in Paris is something exceptional,” he said.
“I know my body, we have top-level physios and there is no reason to worry,” added the striker, who had spoken of his desire to compete at the Games in previous interviews.
Squads for the Olympic Games consist mainly of U23 players, but teams are allowed to field three overage players, with Griezmann a clear candidate along with Kylian Mbappe, who is expected to be confirmed as a Real Madrid player before the summer.
In the same interview, Griezmann signalled that Mbappe’s long-mooted move to Madrid was a done deal.
“He will get a good reception in Spain and I will be happy to play in the Madrid derby against him,” added the forward.
