FIFA tell clubs to release players for Games

FIFA tell clubs to release players for Games

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Wednesday that clubs must release their eligible Under-23 players for the Olympic soccer tournament despite the claims of Europe's leading clubs that they were under no obligation to do so.

FIFA, world football's governing body, and the European Club Association (ECA), the successor to the G14 which represents Europe's leading clubs, issued totally contradictory statements on Wednesday with FIFA reaffirming it was mandatory for clubs to release their players.

Blatter, in a letter to all FIFA members said: "The release of players below the age of 23 has always been mandatory for all clubs. The same principle applies for Beijing 2008."

He added that the fact that the Beijing Olympics is not included in the coordinated international match calendar did not mean there was no release obligation for the relevant clubs."

However, ECA chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said in a statement that there "was no legal obligation" on clubs to release their players for next month's Olympic tournament.

Rummenigge said in a statement: "As the Olympics are not included in the harmonized International Match Calendar, the obligation to release players for national team matches according to the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players does not apply.

"We, therefore, support all clubs that currently face losing important players.

Earlier this week, Brazil defender Rafinha absented himself without leave from training with Schalke 04 in Germany after they repeatedly refused to release him for the Games.