Trabzonspor block African footballers Olympic dream
Egyptian forward Mahmoud Hassan ‘Trezeguet’ has been dealt a disappointing blow as his Turkish club, Trabzonspor, has denied him the opportunity to represent Egypt at the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Trezeguet was hopeful of joining Egypt’s squad for the Men’s Football tournament at the Olympics but has been blocked by his club due to their Europa League commitments.
Trabzonspor justified their decision based on their upcoming Europa League qualifiers, scheduled to commence on July 25 against either Ružomberok of Slovakia or Tobol of Kazakhstan.
The club’s participation in this crucial European campaign overlaps with the early stages of the Olympics, which begin on July 26 and include the Men’s Football tournament starting on July 24.
This setback marks the second Olympic disappointment for Trezeguet, who was previously included in Egypt’s provisional squad for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 but had to withdraw due to an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury.
Egypt, making their 12th appearance in the Men’s Football tournament at the Olympics, secured their spot for Paris 2024 by finishing as runners-up at the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations. They are drawn in Group C alongside the Dominican Republic (July 24), Uzbekistan (July 27), and Spain (July 30). Despite historical achievements like reaching the semifinals in 1928 and 1964, Egypt has yet to clinch an Olympic medal in football.
