To field a Team GB team all of the home football associations have to agree to it. That was no issue for the women as the English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh FAs all released their players, but it wasn’t agreed for the men’s. There are concerns about the home nations losing their own identities, but also the physical toll on players as the men may have longer seasons and this year the Euros were also taking place.
We had a men’s Team GB squad at London 2012, but that was a one-off for the home games. Before that the last time we’d had a men’s team was 1960 I think.
The Euros isn't really an excuse, they are fit and play week in week out, they wouldnt be playing any pre season games or they can miss the first week or 2 of the season. There are players who played also played competitions before flying off to Japan.
Luiz played in the Copa America and he'll be playing in the premier league when he flies back.
There are plenty of English footballers who Im sure if we tried harder, can put together a team and fly them over.
This would not be allowed in the Olympics. For the Olympics, the football squad needs to represent the whole of Great Britain, so would include players from, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as England....
The Welsh, English, Scottish & Irish Football Associations (in the Men's game) haven't been able to agree to all releasing their players for the Olympics since 1960. The single exception to this being in 2012, when the Games were held in London and we sent a men's team.
Remember that in the Olympics our athletes are part of a Great Britain team, regardless of which of the home nations they identify as. Eg Gareth Bale represents Wales at Uefa & Fifa International tournaments, but would be classified as British in a men's football squad participating in the Olympics.
Ie you can't send a squad/team that just has players eligible for one of the home nations.
Same rules apply to all the Team based sports in the Olympics afaik
Edit notice that Team GB is mentioned throughout all the sports, not the individual 4 nations.
The Welsh, English, Scottish & Irish Football Associations (in the Men's game) haven't been able to agree to all releasing their players for the Olympics since 1960. The single exception to this being in 2012, when the Games were held in London and we sent a men's team.
what's the reason? no financial incentive? clearly it's not a lack of players, not a lack of interest from footballers, im sure there are footballers in the 4 nations that would be willing to play if given the opportunity.
Each home nation has a seat with FIFA and the IFAB (the law making body). It is said by fielding a merged Team GB mens team the fear is there would be political pressure for the home nations to lose those privileges
Each home nation has a seat with FIFA and the IFAB (the law making body). It is said by fielding a merged Team GB mens team the fear is there would be political pressure for the home nations to lose those privileges
You've just hit the nail on the head. Yes, thats why theres no mens GB team in the Olympics, politics.
As @Steven said, each country/nation which makes up the UK has its own individual seat on the FIFA and IFAB bodies. So the fear from UK football authorities is that if England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were to field a Mens Team GB, Fifa would insist the 4 seats that each nation has become only 1.
Indeed, the fear was that great, to field a UK (Team GB) mens team for/in the London Olympics, Fifa were made to agree to a public verbal contract that they wouldn't do that which was delivered publicly by Sepp Blatter. Now do you see why the home nations don't trust them? And thats why it doesn't happen. I hope that makes sense.
Because the men didn't qualify in the first place which you have to do at the Euro U21 Championships ... (politics aside)
In 2012 they were the host nation so were qualified automatically.