But try this one. Which country landed the gold medal for soccer at the last Olympic Games?
If you know the answer to that then you're a better man than I, Gunga Din. Even our man who covered the Sydney Olympics for us couldn't answer that question without referring to his records.
Just to satisfy your curiosity, Cameroon took the gold at the last Olympics after beating nine-man Spain.
Very interesting, I can hear you muttering. But is there any point behind knowing which country will be defending the soccer gold at next month's Games in Athens?
There is - it's that the Olympic soccer tournament means diddly squat.
A gold medal on the track or in the field? Worth dying for. A gold medal for soccer at the Olympics? Who cares?
So it's easy to understand why Alex Ferguson's blood pressure is currently at boiling point after discovering that Cristiano Ronaldo and new signing Gabriel Heinze will both be required to represent Portugal and Argentina respectively at Athens.
Consider the circumstances. Last season Ronaldo, at just 19-years-of-age, made 24 senior appearances for Manchester United while he was still trying to adjust to a new life in a new country, with all that entails.
Those two pressures must have taken a heavy toll on the Portuguese youngster, both physically and mentally.
But the end of the season brought no respite for Ronaldo as he became the outstanding star of the Portugal side which went all the way through to the final of the European Championships.
You don't have to be a fitness coach to know that Ronaldo needs to rest. Instead, he'll be playing competitive matches in blistering heat in Greece, in a meaningless tournament.
No wonder Fergie is spitting tin-tacks. But if anything, the call-up of United new boy Heinze into the Argentinian squad is even more outrageous.
The big defender sealed his move to Old Trafford earlier this summer after completing a gruelling season with the French club Paris St.Germain.
With scarcely a break to catch breath, Heinze was whisked off to Peru to play for Argentina in the Copa America tournament. And now, to add to his workload, he's expected to represent his country in the Olympics.
Says Ferguson: "There is nothing wrong with wanting to represent your country. That is natural.
"But it is not in the players' interests to be taking part in the Olympics after playing in the Copa America and the European Championships.
"With Heinze we have a lad who might be denied the opportunity to have a career at United, because I might now have to get another left-back for the start of the season.
"During Euro 2004 Ronaldo became Portugal's saving grace. Then, all of a sudden, it was a case of: `Oh, we'll have him for the Olympics, too'. But when you cut up a cake so many times there is nothing left."
There have been times in the past when Fergie - with some justification - has been accused of placing club before country. This is not one.
This time he is spot on. It is nothing short of disgraceful that Heinze and Ronaldo should be expected to punish their tired limbs still further by taking part in a competition that no-one gives a tinker's cuss about.
Of course, Fergie could appeal to FIFA or the respective Football Associations of Argentinia and Portugal.
He could do - but he won't. Because Ferguson is long enough in the tooth to know that he'd be wasting his breath.
What the men-in-suits want, the men-in-suits get.
And if that leads to two young footballers arriving back in Manchester for the start of the season shattered, both physically and mentally, well that's Fergie's problem not theirs, isn't it? Tweet
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Who pays them by-the-way?
Spot on!
I totally agree with this article. Fifa needs to change some rules here. With the clubs paying the wages, they should not have to lose their star players for two tournaments in a row after a grueling season. Common sense needs to prevail. This over age thing at the Olympics is also a bit of a farce. Heinze is what, 25, 26? Not exactly just over age. It seems to me that Argentina is flouting the spirit of the law. Ranieri at Valencia is also upset with Ayala's inclusion--he's no spring chicken, either.
Hopefully Heinze will also see that his future in on the line, and at least ask to be excused. Ronaldo's situation is slightly different. He's 19, had a year at United, and can at least step back in once he's had a break. Heinze doesn't even know his team mates yet!
Cheers!
Richard Offutt
Devon
Yes, the Olympics is pretty meaningless in football terms. What amazes me, is that a club which has spent as much money as United, did not seem to take such a possibility into account when making their purchase. If they knew beforehand, they could have chosen not to buy those players. If they did not realise the possibility these players may be selected, this would surely smack of incompetence.
i'm sorry but even as a red i have to say that of course fergie is NOT right! i'm getting sick of him complaining about the tiredness of the players. what the hell are they doing in america then?- they're flying all over the place!! besides, why haven't we bought any more players of adequate quality as cover if we're the richest club in the world? at the end of the day, money rules over everything...stop complaining fergie, stop trying to outpsyche mourinho (who's a pretty smart feller himself, funnily enough) and bring back the title and european cup to OT this season.
Said it in a previous posting......check out the report that the new chelski signing has declined to play as he wants to settle into his new career????
Very simple solution they should talk to their coaches and graciously decline...just say no!
Please don't answer with 'its an honour playing for your country' and we should have a big enough squad...they have honoured their countries at the highest level nuff said.
This olympic football is a mickey mouse competition!
If Great Britain entered a team in the Olympics it would become a massive competition.
You can just see it, can't you? Portugal versus Argentina at the Olympics. Ronaldo playing wide right, Heinze at left back. One crunching tackle too many. One knackered knee and one broken foot. Bloody great. Just what we need.
It's an absolute disgrace that we should lose Ronnie and Heinze for such a meaningless mickey mouse tournament.How dare Argentina take Heinze to the Olymics when he has played non -stop for them all summer without a break .This is the lads most important season as a player with him about to join United. Fergie's spot on as he is being denied a career at united. Argientina are being greedy and selfish and are going to knacker him out completley so he can barley play when he arrives back at United. If I was Gabriel I would tell The Argentinian Fa to get lost , but of cousrse he won't. It also stinks that if he does go To the Olympics they will have had the services of our player for three and a half months for free.Would they like to pay 500,000+ in wages United will have forked out in that time.As with Ronaldo the Portugese team is also being greedy.They
could have taken Quaresma who would make a big impact on this type of tournament , didn't play in Euro 2004 and didn't play much that season instead. How many other of Portugal's Euro 2004 big stars are in this tornament, NONE.Ronnie is only 19 and needs looking after.We will lose him fot three months now when Fergie rests him. Have the Arse lost Ljunberg to sweden ,I think not.Portugal have also had the services of one of our players for long enough.Fifa national bias stinks amd how dare they have a go at Fergie when he is right. I don't care how many people watch the olmypic football it is meaningless.Clubs should not be deprived of their top players especailly when the countries that want them for this facade have had them all summer.
Utter nonsense. As the FIFA spokesman says, it's not like the Olympics are a sudden surprise to Ferguson. He knows full well that FIFA sanctioned tournaments require players to be released. If a handful of "meaningless" Olympic matches will leave them "drained and shattered" then what are premiership matches going to do to them?
This is really stupid! Nobody cares about this mickey mouse tourney,Sepp Blatter must be behind this decision, he is anti-man.united. I hope ronaldo and heinze withdraw themselves from the olympics, just like rivaldo did in olympics 2000. Come on heinze and ronaldo, both of you will out till november and we have a massive crisis even before the season start.Arghhhhhhh....
Fergie is right. Playing for one's country in the World Cup is one thing; Olympic representation something else. Football is the world game and stands out because it is able to survive alone. The Olympics used to attract the likes of Corinthian Casuals when it was an amateur competition and that was fine for the amateur game. However, the Olypics now needs football to be included in order to draw the crowds. Since it is based on commercial greed,and benefits the Olympic movement, then professional football clubs ought to be paid for the privilege of supplying their assets in order to bolster attendance at The Games. To hide behind the misguided sentiment of a player playing for one's country is to first fill their own coffers and second to deny dedicated professional football clubs the right to have a say in the employment of their star players. The IOC is a law unto itself and should not have the power to interfere in the running of professional institutions. Fergie angry? He has every right!
I also think that Sir Alex is correct,and i
would say that i agree that a country needs to be represented,But the club that employes the player should have a say in the selection
of there players,they pay there wages and have the player under contract to them.The country should ask permision for the selected player to be released.Also the selection should not be from the first team players.Football is so involved in this country with the amount of matches adding MORE to that is madness
I coulden't agree more. Nobody cares about the olympic soccer tournament and the players need their vecation off so they can be rested for the new season. I hope Ferguson will sign one more defender because Heinze probably wont be up for the job the first couple of months and after that it will be hard to put him on when he hasen't played with any of his teammates and doesn't have the matchfitness that is a required.
Blatter is saying that their is too much football, and players are getting to burn out stage!!!!!! Then why the hell does FIFA authorise a meaninless competition like the Olympics, so close to competitions in Europe and South America. The competition should be open to professional footballers who have not represented their home country at full international level.
Be not concerned with the Olympic Games because you has just made a great recruiting, according to the Portuguese press, see the news at http://www.record.pt/noticia.asp?id=539823&idCanal=292
The Olympics are for none professionals,I noticed Roberto Carlos playing for Madrid against Benfica, last night why was he not with his Brazil team mates,Fifa bends the rules but always agaist us.
You are spot on with your comments regarding the United players having to play in the Olympics. It is a joke. In my opinion, both UEFA and FIFA are failing in their duties to protect the players from suffering
burn-out. They are also creating a split between the International scene and the Club scene. It will come to a stage where club managers won't release their players. Put it this way, if both Portugal and Argentina had to pay both these player's wages for the length of time they have been away with them, do you think they would be bringing them to the Olympics? Your dead right they wouldn't. This is a sick joke and something has to be done about it. But as you said, "what the men in suits want, the men in suits get" And all they are in it for is a big fat profit. Don't mind the players. As long as these so-called 'men' make money, they couldn't care less.