After the European Championship is before the Olympic Games. Compared to the mammoth EM with 24 teams, the soccer tournament in Japan with “only” 16 teams is a bit slimmed down, nonetheless some professionals from the German Bundesliga are also present at the games. Not just the German squad around the lead wolves Maximilian Arnold (27) and Max Kruse (33) should be mentioned here (16 of the 18 players play at Bundesliga clubs, only substitute goalkeepers Svend Brodersen from FC Yokohama and Luca Plogmann from Werder Bremen not), but also, for example, the Brazilian line-up with three players in the first German league are under contract. The SPORTBUZZER gives an overview of the Bundesliga colors at the Olympics.
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Japan (Group A)
The Japanese Olympic coach Akinobu Yokouchi relies on two players who are active in German football in his line-up: During Stuttgart’s defensive clearer Wataru Endo (28) Just like the former Hanoverian Hiroki Sakai is one of three players who were born before January 1, 1997, newcomer Ao Tanaka from second division Fortuna Düsseldorf at the age of 22 belongs to the young guard, which also includes the ex-Bielefeld team Includes Ritsu Doan and Real Madrid gem Takefusa Kubo.
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France (Group A)
The best-known names in the French squad are oldie André Pierre Gignac (35) and world champion Florian Thauvin (28), who switched to Gignac and Mexican first division Tigres (Bayern’s final opponent at the Club World Cup at the beginning of the year) this summer. Olympic coach Sylvain Ripoll also relies on a Bundesliga professional: the defensive midfielder Lucas Tousart (24) was delegated by Hertha BSC and is missing for the Berliners in the preparation for the season and probably also in the first round of the DFB Cup, in which Hertha will meet SV Meppen on August 8th.
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Spain (Group C)
Six players can be found in Luis de la Fuente’s Olympic squad who already have the men’s European championship under their belt – next to Barcelona jewel and EM shooting star Pedri and goalkeeper Unai Simon too Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig. Bitter for RB that the important offensive man missed both the beginning and the end of the preparation and – if the top-class Iberians are expected to make it into the knockout round – also the start of the season in the cup. Leipzig will guest under new coach Jesse Marsch on August 7th, probably without the 23-year-old Olmo at SV Sandhausen.
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Brazil (Group D)
This time (unlike five years ago in Rio de Janeiro) superstar Neymar is missing from the squad of defending champions Brazil. Nevertheless, the line-up of the German first opponent is not to be despised: Join internationally known stars such as Barcelona legend Dani Alves (38, now with FC Sao Paulo), Diego Carlos (28, Sevilla FC) or Everton striker Richarlison (24) also three Bundesliga players, whose Olympic stints should be manageable for their clubs, however. Because attackers Matheus Cunha (22) is considered a sales candidate at Hertha BSC despite often strong performances, while Paulinho (21, Bayer 04 Leverkusen) after his cruciate ligament tear and Reinier (19, Borussia Dortmund) because of the oversupply of BVB offensive forces, at least currently more likely to pass as a supplementary player.
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