Football at the Paris 2024 Olympics: quadruple nationality, wonderkid, silent… Who is Michael Olise, the player who steals the show with Les Bleus?
Without Kylian Mbappé or Antoine Griezmann, the French Olympic football team is not lacking in talent. Thierry Henry’s team played for its place in the tournament final on Monday, August 5, against Egypt in Lyon (3-1 victory) and relied on its attacking frontrunners: the two jokers Alexandre Lacazette and Jean-Philippe Mateta – who scored twice – but also and above all Michael Olise.
The 22-year-old whirling midfielder, recruited by Bayern Munich just before the Olympics, is now directly involved in six of the eight French goals (2 goals, 4 assists). He was decisive in opening the scoring in the four games he started. Symbolically placed at the heart of Thierry Henry’s tactical system, in the axis, between the midfielders and the attackers, he is the “thrill” player of this French team that is aiming for Olympic gold.
He had the choice between France, Algeria (on his mother’s side), England and Nigeria (on his father’s side). Michael Olise has chosen Les Bleus since 2019, at the age of 17. Called up with the U18s and then the French Espoirs, it was natural to find him in Thierry Henry’s list for this Olympic tournament. The coach knows very well that he has a gem and was keen to salute his choice on June 17: “He could perhaps have played in the Euro with England and he chose France. It must be emphasised.”
Technically, the player concerned can still choose to represent another national team, having not yet played an official match with Didier Deschamps’ senior team. His little brother Richard, a right-back at Chelsea, has opted for England. This is why everything is being done to ensure that the man who grew up across the Channel, with his mother’s only connection to France being conversations in the language of Molière, feels comfortable in the group. “He can speak French, but he is not bilingual. He understands more than he speaks.”confided Jean-Philippe Mateta, his teammate at Crystal Palace and at the Olympics, two years ago.
“Patrick Vieira (Olise’s England coach from 2021 to 2023) spoke to me about it first. He said to me: ‘There’s a little one, he’s not bad here and he wants to play for France.'” Thierry Henry is charmed by his attacking midfielder with his devastating dribbling. “If he hadn’t gotten injured this year, I think he could have scored 16 goals, given 12 assists. [il a bouclé la saison de Premier League à dix buts, six passes]“, insisted the coach at the start of the meeting.
