“`html
Michael Olise‘s Journey to the French National Team
“You haven’t seen anything!” On the eve of the Olympic Games final lost to Spain (3-5, on August 9), Thierry Henry warned the audience that France was lucky to have in its ranks an inestimable talent who chose the French selection. “He has enormous qualities. We’re not going to jinx him, but it doesn’t happen often to have players like that. Let’s forget the game and what he can do, let’s talk about his desire to have wanted to play for the French team. He could have gone to the Euro with England but he wanted to play for France. It’s his dream and, at some point, when someone dreams, you can put whatever you want in front of him, he’ll achieve it. I have enormous respect for that.”
Called up to the A team, Michael Olise appeared before the press on Tuesday with Loïc Badé and Manu Koné, two of his teammates who also made a name for themselves during France’s Olympic epic. Having arrived at Clairefontaine the day before, the new Bayern Munich player spent a lot of time with his two mates and, together in the Bleus’ refectory, they wisely waited for all the internationals to sit around the table so as not to steal anyone’s place before taking their seats. Arriving in barefoot flip-flops, the player showed a discreet, shy personality through answers made up of short sentences, confiding his “pride to be there”.
The audience wondered about the reasons and the path that led him to Les Bleus, while the player could have opted for the English, Algerian, or Nigerian selection. “My mother comes from France. When I was little, I always came here. I have this connection with France and that’s why I chose the French selection. The players who have left their mark on me? There’s Zidane and Titi (Henry), the coach too. There are a lot of them in the French team,” explained the London native, who went through the football schools of Arsenal, Chelsea, City, and Reading before exploding at Crystal Palace.
“He Won’t Have Any Trouble Blending into the Group.”
The rest was poorer. Asked about his personality off the pitch, Olise answered briefly: “I’m a normal person.” And when he was asked who he had relied on to help him integrate into the castle, it was Manu Koné who came to his rescue to mask a palpable shyness. “He talks to everyone. The others put him at ease. He’s nice, friendly.”
We won’t learn more since the audience understood that the boy was not comfortable with the question-and-answer exercise and so we questioned Loïc Badé with whom he shared his first training session on Monday, while Olise responded to a message received on his phone, a funny scene during a press conference. “Michael is a good person. We lived together for two months, we get attached quickly. He’s too good at werewolf (a role-playing board game), he’s a manipulator,” the Sevillian defender said with a smile. “He’s even a cheater,” added the new AS Roma midfielder. He’s smiling, we’re happy to be with him, he’s endearing. Everyone wants to be with him.”
To find out more about Michael Olise, we will have to wait, and his first discreet steps have also reminded Jules Koundé of some memories, he who has now become one of the Blues’ good customers. “As you have seen, he is someone quite reserved. I was too, and it took me time to open up. The important thing is to let people integrate; some are more extroverted than others. He will have no trouble blending into the group because we are very welcoming. His integration will not pose any problems,” the defender tempered.
On the Pibarot pitch, the striker had a serious session, often close to his teammates of the day and still a little soft in some sequences during the opposition. Now, we will have to watch the pitch to see a little more. On Monday, Didier Deschamps warned that he would largely involve his squad during the two matches against Italy on Friday, September 6, and Belgium, on the 9th. And barring a physical problem, Michael Olise will be there.
“`
It seems like you’ve shared an excerpt from an article about Michael Olise’s journey to the French national football team. The text covers various aspects of his background, his decision to represent France over other potential national teams, and his introduction to the French A team.
Summary of Michael Olise’s Journey
- Introduction: Thierry Henry expressed high praise for Michael Olise, emphasizing his immense talent and the significance of his decision to play for France instead of England.
- Press Conference: Olise, alongside teammates Loïc Badé and Manu Koné, attended a press conference. He showed a humble demeanor, arriving in flip-flops, and expressed pride in representing the national team.
- Connection to France: Olise explained his personal connection to France through his mother, leading to his choice for the French national team despite options from England, Algeria, and Nigeria.
- Role Models: He cited influential French footballers, including Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry, as inspiration throughout his football journey.
- Team Integration: While the excerpt cuts off mid-sentence, there was mention that Olise is expected to blend well into the team, highlighting positive expectations from coaches and teammates.
If you have any specific questions or need further details about Michael Olise or related topics, feel free to ask!
