Manchester City striker Iheanacho will not play in Olympics

[Synopsis]

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Kelechi Iheanacho will focus on forcing his way into Pep Guardiola's Manchester City team after the Blues decided not to let the player go to the Olympic Games.

The 19-year-old striker was invited to join the Nigeria squad for the Rio games, with the football tournament starting in August.

But City were under no obligation to release him, and with Guardiola taking the reins on July 1, he asked that every available player should take part in pre-season.

With players who progress in Euro 2016 and the Copa America already due to arrive back late, the Blues are keen to have as much as possible of their squad fully fit.

City are understood to have spoken extensively with Iheanacho, who is on holiday in Nigeria.

He wanted to represent his country, but is said to have fully understood City's position, and is also aware of the need to show Guardiola what he can do.

READ MORE: Nasri could be Manchester City fall guy if Nolito completes £13.8million deal

With new players due to join the squad – Nolito and Leroy Sane remain strong possibilities – Iheanacho recognised the importance of being in the squad from the start.

The Olympic tournament, which is for Under-23 players, starts on August 3, which would mean Iheanacho missing a big chunk of pre-season as well as the summer tour of China.

If they progress from their group, Iheanacho would have been away for the start of the Premier League season.

And if they reached the medal positions – and Nigeria won silver in 2008 – he would miss at last the first leg of the Blues' Champions League play-off.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... a-11512132

[metalalloy]

expected and understandable, but still sad. For all the loudmouths that will dumbly accuse him of not being patriotic, abeg shove it.

[Undertaker]

Freaking Man Shitty!!!!!!

[niyi]

Not his fault but City don't care about establishing a good relationship with Nigeria.

They'll have Iheanacho for many years and while they aren't obligated to release him this time, we can invite him for every FIFA friendly/tournament in the future and simply ignore them when they request us not to use him (the same thing they're currently facing with Belgium wrt Kompany).

They should have allowed him play taking solace in the fact that we haven't qualified for the Olympics.

[EMIR KONGI JAFFI JOFFA]

Hallelujah. We thank God for nacho.

[Mr. Piffington]

Good for him in all honesty.

[joao]

Not his fault but City don't care about establishing a good relationship with Nigeria.

They'll have Iheanacho for many years and while they aren't obligated to release him this time, we can invite him for every FIFA friendly/tournament in the future and simply ignore them when they request us not to use him (the same thing they're currently facing with Belgium wrt Kompany).

They should have allowed him play taking solace in the fact that we haven't qualified for the Olympics.

We?

[maceo4]

Not shocked one bit, makes the most sense for the bobo.

[1naija]

Nigeria should go to Fifa

[paj]

Pep's a balding he-b*tch!

[niyi]

Not his fault but City don't care about establishing a good relationship with Nigeria.

They'll have Iheanacho for many years and while they aren't obligated to release him this time, we can invite him for every FIFA friendly/tournament in the future and simply ignore them when they request us not to use him (the same thing they're currently facing with Belgium wrt Kompany).

They should have allowed him play taking solace in the fact that we haven't qualified for the Olympics.

We?

I meant to type ACON

[Enugu II]

Nigeria should go to Fifa

For what? There is no rule that says City must release him to Nigeria for the Olympics.

[Mr. Piffington]

Nigeria should go to Fifa

It's better for Kelechi if he stays and gets acclimated to Pep's style.

[Pavarotti]

Kelechi Iheanacho Chooses Man City Over Nigeria. Not going to RIO - Manchester Evening News


http://www.soccerassembly.com/forums/to ... ng-to-rio/

[Nzeamaka]

What a smart guy , he's better off. Crooked siasia is nothing but a fraud.

[metalalloy]

Not his fault but City don't care about establishing a good relationship with Nigeria.

They'll have Iheanacho for many years and while they aren't obligated to release him this time, we can invite him for every FIFA friendly/tournament in the future and simply ignore them when they request us not to use him (the same thing they're currently facing with Belgium wrt Kompany).

They should have allowed him play taking solace in the fact that we haven't qualified for the Olympics.

we will do that anyway whether they allowed him to play at the olympics or not

[papilo]

Very good news in my opinion. He needs to impress the new manager. Missing pre season and a few league games would have been very risky. I hope Arsenal take the same stand on Iwobi. We need these players playing regularly for their clubs going into the world cup qualifiers. That is more important than the olympics.

[niyi]

Very good news in my opinion. He needs to impress the new manager. Missing pre season and a few league games would have been very risky. I hope Arsenal take the same stand on Iwobi. We need these players playing regularly for their clubs going into the world cup qualifiers. That is more important than the olympics.

A preseason with Pep isnt all that. How many of the Bayern youngsters used during preseason ended up as regulars? Koman spent the preseason with Juventus and still ended up playing a lot of games with Pep.

We needed these boys to play together on a big stage, to get them to gel together because these guys will form the crux of the SE in a year or two. Friendly matches and qualifiers don't offer enough time for the team to learn to play like a team. This tournament offered that.

[platinum]

Good for him in all honesty.

I agree.

[niyi]

Not his fault but City don't care about establishing a good relationship with Nigeria.

They'll have Iheanacho for many years and while they aren't obligated to release him this time, we can invite him for every FIFA friendly/tournament in the future and simply ignore them when they request us not to use him (the same thing they're currently facing with Belgium wrt Kompany).

They should have allowed him play taking solace in the fact that we haven't qualified for the Olympics.

we will do that anyway whether they allowed him to play at the olympics or not

There are times when we don't invite players when their clubs make special requests. We also don't make them come down to camp to be examined when they claim to be injured. We can start doing all that now.

[Bigpokey24]

with all these zika wahala, make we kukuma withdraw from the Olympics.. no be so that yeye FIFA pull the u20 world-cup from us back in 1995 because of cholera and dysentery

[Gotti]

Not shocked one bit, makes the most sense for the bobo.

Totally agree and said it months ago...
With a new coach coming in, August in Rio makes no sense for him.

Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if someone like Success went the same route.

[vancity eagle]

Very good news in my opinion. He needs to impress the new manager. Missing pre season and a few league games would have been very risky. I hope Arsenal take the same stand on Iwobi. We need these players playing regularly for their clubs going into the world cup qualifiers. That is more important than the olympics.

A preseason with Pep isnt all that. How many of the Bayern youngsters used during preseason ended up as regulars? Koman spent the preseason with Juventus and still ended up playing a lot of games with Pep.

We needed these boys to play together on a big stage, to get them to gel together because these guys will form the crux of the SE in a year or two. Friendly matches and qualifiers don't offer enough time for the team to learn to play like a team. This tournament offered that.

KPOM.

to get all these guys playing together against decent competition is far more important than the possibility that they may play more during the season.