3 clubs win Olympics appeal - We weren't one!

Three European clubs have won their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to keep their players out of the Olympic football tournament.

Barcelona, Werder Bremen and Schalke all appealed to the CAS to prevent Lionel Messi, Diego and Rafinha from going to the Games in Beijing.

Messi had been called up to the Argentina squad, while Diego and Rafinha had both been named in the Brazil squad for this month's tournament.

Barcelona were keen for Messi to stay with them as they wanted the skilful forward available for their UEFA Champions League qualifier against either Beitar Jerusalem or Wisla Krakow.

Fifa had ordered that all players under the age of 23 must be released by their clubs for the tournament, but the CAS have ruled Barcelona, Werder Bremen and Schalke do not need to release their players.

"The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld the appeals filed by FC Schalke 04, SV Werder Bremen and FC Barcelona against the decision issued on 30 July 2008 by the Single Judge of the Fifa's Players' Status Committee that consequently has been set aside in its entirety," said a CAS statement.

CAS found that Fifa's position was based on custom rather than law, meaning clubs could not be forced to release their players.

"The Olympic Football Tournament Beijing 2008 is not included in the Co-ordinated Match Calendar and there is no specific decision of the Fifa

Executive Committee establishing the obligation for the clubs to release players under 23 for this tournament.

"The requirements to justify a legal obligation of clubs to release their players for the Football Tournament Beijing 2008 on the basis of customary law are not met."

In its statement, CAS stated that it hoped the decision would not cause major

disruption to the tournament.

"In view of Fifa's recommendation made to the clubs to release their players as well as of the Olympic spirit, the CAS call upon the goodwill and good sense of Fifa and the clubs to find a reasonable solution with regard to players who wish to represent their country in the Olympic Games," concluded the statement.

Fifa is yet to respond to the CAS ruling, but president Sepp Blatter had said the governing body would accept the court's decision.
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So barca, bremen and shalke get to keep one player they dont want to loose, and we loose 3 players we want to keep! bloody hell this is a bit of a joke i think

Its a complete joke. Whats the point of having the rule from now on when clubs can just appeal? Total bollocks.

Also, they appealed becuase they cant win without those players. Barca need Messi, they cant really rely on anyone as much as him and Diego/Rafinha are the only players you could easily name out of their line up so it shows how much they mean to their clubs.

If we were to appeal we could still have Mascher, Ryan and Lucas but we have the decency to accept it and continue and not be such F***ing whusses about it.

Surely the olympics can only improve the younger players (Babel && Lucas)

Surely the olympics can only improve the younger players (Babel && Lucas)

Ok, Lucas and maybe Babel i dont mind we have good players in their postion. But Mash is the one conserning me. Plessis looks good in pre-season but can he consistantly preform in the premiership

This is a very hard one to call;

It must be every sports man or women dream to go to the Olympics, and try and win a gold medal.

It also must be very hard for any football manager to say no, lets say the manger does say no, and there team go on to win a medal, its not going to do much for the team, when you have a player thinking I should have been there.

I know they get payed a lot of money to play for Liverpool, I hope we are not paying these players while there at the Olympics, and they are over there because its what they want to do.

We will be saying these same thing in 4 years time, when we put out a G.B. team in the London Olympics.

As I have said its a hard one to call, but now they are over there, I hope one or two of are lads come back with a Olympic medal, good luck to you.

It doesn't really bother us because I have a hard time seeing Rafa making any one of the players and dragging them half way around the world. Javi who wants to be part of the games and Lucas because these games really mean a lot to his national career with the Brazilian senior side.Though I would not be surprised if Rafa was to use the injury angel on trying to get Babel back but I don't see it happening. We have been pre-paring without these guys and we have a big squad so we should be able to beat the likes of Leigue and Sunderland.

Surely the olympics can only improve the younger players (Babel && Lucas)

Plus the club is not supposed to stand in the way of a player's olympics dream.