For those that have been following the trajectory of Michael Olise at Crystal Palace, the French U-23 team at the Olympics this summer in Paris, and his move to Bayern Munich, it should come as no surprise that he has been called up to the senior French squad for the first time. Les Bleus’ manager Didier Deschamps has included him in the initial roster for the upcoming pair of UEFA Nations League matches against Italy and Belgium; both of which are home matches for the 2018 World Cup winners.
Speaking on the decision to elect Olise for the roster for the pair of Nations League matches, Deschamps explained that it was the “logical” decision after how much the player has been progressing over the past year. “Michael did very good things with the Olympic team under Thierry Henry. He’s already done well before that although he unfortunately had some injuries. With his move to Bayern Munich, he moved up to another category. He proved it on the pitch, so it’s logical that he’s called up. There are still steps to take for him, but as far as potential is concerned, he has a lot of quality. He can play in many different positions across the forward line,” the manager explained in a recent press conference (@iMiaSanMia).
Olise was listed in the squad as an attacker alongside Kylian Mbappe, Marcus Thuram, Antoine Griezmann, Randal Kolo Muani, Bradley Barcola, and Ousmane Dembélé. Fellow Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman was not selected by Deschamps, though defender Dayot Upamecano was.
At the Olympics, after a strong season with Palace, Olise was a standout for Thierry Henry’s French U-23 side that wound up getting a silver medal having lost to Spain’s U-23’s in the final. On the way to the final, Olise tallied 3 goals and 4 assists from the five matches prior, having also provided an assist in the losing effort against Spain in the final.
Olise’s strong showing at the Olympics in his native France followed up on a 10 goal a 6-assist campaign in the Premier League for Oliver Glasner’s Palace side that finished 10th in the English top flight. Coming to a club like Bayern was a natural progression for a player of his caliber, and at only 22 years of age, there is plenty of room for him to grow for both Bayern and France.
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