Japan Olympic team may not use all over-age player slots due to clubs’ reluctance to release players like Endo

The Japanese sports newspaper Nikkan Sports has reported that Japan’s U23 national football team for the 2024 Paris Olympics may opt not to utilize all three available over-age player spots, and could even go without any.

Multiple officials from the Japan Football Association (JFA) have revealed that head coach Go Oiwa has abandoned plans to call up 31-year-old Liverpool star Hidemasa Endo as an over-age player, mainly due to clubs being unwilling to release their players. Endo himself expressed his willingness to be selected, stating, “If I’m chosen, I want to contribute to the team,” but negotiations between the JFA and the club this week have been unsuccessful in obtaining permission for his release.

It is well-known that clubs cannot block players from participating in international A-level matches, but the Olympic men’s football tournament does not fall under this category.

Oiwa still hopes to summon experienced over-age defenders, such as Daiki Hashioka of the Bundesliga, Takehiro Tomiyasu of the Premier League, and Shuichi Gonda playing in the Qatari league, but similar issues with clubs granting permission persist. Additionally, SC Freiburg attacker Takuma Asano, aged 26, is also facing resistance from his club. The possibility of calling up 27-year-old Kento Monota remains, although his transfer situation could impact his availability, introducing uncertainty.

The men’s football tournament at the Paris Olympics is set to commence on July 24, with Japan’s Olympic team scheduled to announce its 18-player squad in early July. It is now believed that Japan may not fill all three over-age slots, potentially using only 1-2 or none at all.

Japan’s Olympic football team has participated in seven editions of the tournament since the 1970s (with four additional appearances prior to that with senior teams). They did not send over-age players in 1996 and 2008, and didn’t utilize the full quota in 2004 and 2012. In the last Tokyo Olympics, they called up Maya Yoshida, Hiroki Sakai, and Endo as over-age players, finishing fourth, replicating their 2012 London Olympics performance. With a medal in sight, Japan aims to improve upon their 1968 bronze medal at the Mexico City Olympics.