Cairo pledges support for AngloGold Ashanti to accelerate Sukari mine operations    New Egypt–European scientific cooperation programmes coming soon: EU ambassador    Egypt trains Palestinian police for future Gaza deployment as ceasefire tensions escalate    Giza master plan targets major hotel expansion to match Grand Egyptian Museum launch    Golden Pillars Developments unveils Swar project as part of EGP 15bn investment plan    Three kidnapped Egyptians released in Mali after government coordination    Egypt raises minimum, maximum insurance wage starting Jan 2026    Egypt's EMRA signs MoU with Xcalibur for nationwide mining survey    How to Combine PDF Files Quickly and Easily    Egypt's agricultural exports climb to 8.5m tons in 2025    Maternal, fetal health initiative screens over 3.6 million pregnant women    Ahl Masr Burn Hospital Concludes First Scientific Forum, Prepares for Expanded Second Edition in 2026    Australia returns 17 rare ancient Egyptian artefacts    Egypt expands rollout of Universal Health Insurance    China invites Egypt to join African duty-free export scheme    Egypt calls for stronger Africa-Europe partnership at Luanda summit    Egypt begins 2nd round of parliamentary elections with 34.6m eligible voters    Egypt warns of erratic Ethiopian dam operations after sharp swings in Blue Nile flows    Egypt scraps parliamentary election results in 19 districts over violations    Egypt extends Ramses II Tokyo Exhibition as it draws 350k visitors to date    Egypt signs host agreement for Barcelona Convention COP24 in December    Al-Sisi urges probe into election events, says vote could be cancelled if necessary    Filmmakers, experts to discuss teen mental health at Cairo festival panel    Cairo International Film Festival to premiere 'Malaga Alley,' honour Khaled El Nabawy    Cairo hosts African Union's 5th Awareness Week on Post-Conflict Reconstruction on 19 Nov.    Egypt golf team reclaims Arab standing with silver; Omar Hisham Talaat congratulates team    Egypt launches National Strategy for Rare Diseases at PHDC'25    Egypt adds trachoma elimination to health success track record: WHO    Grand Egyptian Museum welcomes over 12,000 visitors on seventh day    Egypt launches Red Sea Open to boost tourism, international profile    Omar Hisham Talaat: Media partnership with 'On Sports' key to promoting Egyptian golf tourism    Sisi expands national support fund to include diplomats who died on duty    Egypt's PM reviews efforts to remove Nile River encroachments    Egypt resolves dispute between top African sports bodies ahead of 2027 African Games    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Barca face Messi-style Olympic choice for Neymar
Reuters Published in Ahram Online on 19 - 02 - 2016

Barcelona will consider what is best for Neymar when they decide whether to release their Brazilian star for the Olympic soccer tournament at the Rio Games - just as they did for Lionel Messi in 2008, coach Luis Enrique said on Friday.
Neymar, part of the Barca team on course for a second successive treble this season, has said he wants to be one of Brazil's three permitted over-age players at the Olympic Games from Aug. 5-21 in his home country.
The 24-year-old was in the team that lost the final of the 2012 London Games to Mexico, failing to end Brazil's wait for their only missing major football trophy.
"The Olympic Games in your own country is something special for any sportsperson, no matter what the sport," said Luis Enrique, an Olympic soccer gold medal winner with Spain at the 1992 Barcelona Games.
"'Ney' already has a prior commitment," he said of the Centennial Copa America in the United States in June where Neymar will captain Brazil.
"We'll have to see how we manage the situation so the demands on him are not excessive, always putting (the wellbeing of) the player first," Luis Enrique told a news conference.
The Olympics are very close to the start of the football season in Spain - the current season began on Aug. 22 - and should Neymar go to the Games he would miss a good part of Barcelona's pre-season.
Luis Enrique said the case was the same for Rafinha, a 23-year-old midfield reserve at Barcelona.
World governing body FIFA confirmed in September that clubs were not obliged to release players for the Olympic tournament.
Barcelona faced the same choice eight years ago when Messi wanted to play for Argentina at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Then coach Pep Guardiola allowed the then 20-year-old Messi to go to China and he helped his country win a second successive soccer gold medal.
Barcelona are six points clear at the top of La Liga with 14 matches to go, in the final of the King's Cup and the last 16 of the Champions League in which they face Arsenal with the first leg in London on Tuesday.
(For more sports news andupdates, followAhramOnlineSportson Twitter at@AO_Sportsand onFacebookatAhramOnlineSports.)
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/188031.aspx

Clic here to read the story from its source.