Richarlison concerned Everton will block his dream of playing for Brazil at the Tokyo Olympics

ByRichard Newman

Updated 22/02/2021 at 14:53 GMT

The forward believes the Premier League club may not release him for both the Copa America and the Tokyo Games, with the Toffees under no obligation to let players go to the Olympics. Richarlison would have little break between domestic seasons if he did go to both tournaments.

Richarlison says he is unsure if Everton will allow him to play for Brazil at both the Copa America and the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

The forward, who scored in the 2-0 Merseyside derby win over Liverpool in the Premier League, is a regular for his country, and although 24, he is eligible as one of the under-23 players for the Games in Japan, as that is the age he would have been had the event gone ahead as planned last year.

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He would have an opportunity to play at another Olympics, but only as one of three overage players.

Everton are under no obligation to release players for Tokyo, though, and any inclusion would be a gesture of good will.

The Copa America is due to take place between 11 June and 10 July, roughly the same as this summer’s European Championships, while the Olympic men’s football tournament begins on 22 July with the final taking place on 7 August.

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Due to coronavirus, a start date for the next Premier League season has not yet been confirmed, but if it returns to normal, it will begin some time in mid-August, giving Richarlison little time for rest or pre-season if he participates in both events.

Despite that, it is clear that Richarlison does not want to miss either of them: “This year there’s the Copa America and there’s also the Olympics," he told ESPN. "It seems that the club doesn’t want to let me go [to both].

[They] just want to release me to one, I think it’s for the Copa America, I don’t know. I told them that I want to go to the Copa America and the Olympics, if I’m called.

“Like it or not, I don’t know if I’ll have another opportunity for the Olympics because I’m in the age [bracket]. I want to play, I want to go.

I've never played an Olympics and we’ll be defending our title. So, I want to go, yes. It will be talked about here inside the club to know what decision will be made.

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