Wenger, Ferguson say no to Olympics

Top Premier League managers including Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson have stated that they do not want their players who play in Euro 2012 to also be called up to the Great Britain squad for the 2012 London Olympics.

The English FA has not denied that players could be called up for both tournaments, with Stuart Pearce being confirmed as Team GB manager on Thursday.

Alex Ferguson faces the prospect of youngsters Chris Smalling, Tom Cleverley and Phil Jones being called up, while Arsene Wenger may be forced to part with Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and even Aaron Ramsey.

Wenger feels that the scheduling of the Olympics is outrageous and that any player playing in both the Euro and Olympics would be physically drained.

"The Olympic tournament is not a real football tournament," he said. "For me, the Olympics is for track and field, basically. If I asked you now who won the Olympic Games 20 years ago, you would have problems to tell me. If I asked you about the European Championship or the World Cup, you would know better.

"The Olympics start on 27 July and finish in mid-August. Imagine a player who has played at the Euros and the Olympic Games – you can't use him after that. It's impossible. The Euros finish on 1 July and we start training on 4/5 July.

That means we will not have the players who were at the Euros and so if we are losing players to the Olympics as well, I think I will have to practise all summer to play because we will not have any players. It cannot work.

"If you look at the organisation of the whole summer, it makes life impossible for the club and for the players, especially. I don't know what people think when they organise these competitions."

"I think it's a very bad idea to leave the decisions up to the players," Wenger said. "If a player decides if they will play or not [at the Olympics] … no matter what they decide, they could be found guilty towards their club or their federation. It is the job of the FA to sit together with clubs and analyse every single case and be a little responsible."

Ferguson too echoed Wenger's sentiments and believes that its impossible to expect players to play a double role.

"This has been spurred by Argentina and Nigeria sending out their strongest teams (to the Olympics) last time,'' Ferguson said. "That has given the BOA [British Olympic Association] an opening. But our league is different.

"Players need their rest and to recover. I do not see how it is possible (doubling up with Euros). I am sure what I am saying won't make any difference but it is a fact.''