Soccer Globe

Vincent Kompany, the Belgium Olympic football team’s top player, has been forced to quit the tournament and return to his German club Hamburg.

The defender seemed set to defy the Bundesliga team and stay in China and help Belgium reach the Olympic quarterfinal. He was expected to play against New Zealand on Wednesday in Belgium’s final group game.

But Belgium team spokesman Nicolas Cornu said on Tuesday the federation had bowed to pressure from Hamburg to release him in time for the club’s opening Bundesliga game against Bayern Munich on Friday.

“He’s returning today,” Cornu said. “Hamburg put pressure on the federation because there was a former agreement (to release him after two games). The federation didn’t have any choice but to send him home.

“He really wanted to stay and really pushed to stay here because he wanted to be with the team and wanted to play for the national team. But there was too much pressure for the federation and for him.”

While Belgium only needs a point against the Kiwis to reach the quarterfinal, the team will be hit badly by the loss of Kompany.

But Hamburg coach Martin Jol said the team needed him for the Bundesliga game against defending champion Bayern Munich and the club had legal justification to recall him.

Last Wednesday, three European clubs won an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to keep their players out of the Olympic football tournament, although they then allowed them to stay.

FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi with Argentina, Werder Bremen forward Diego and Schalke defender Rafinha, both of Brazil, were allowed to stay with their teams despite the clubs’ legal challenge.

Kompany could even have gone back to Hamburg a few days earlier.

He was sent off after 72 minutes of Belgium’s 1-0 loss to Brazil on Aug. 7 after receiving two yellow cards and missed the team’s 2-0 victory over China on Sunday through suspension.

Source - Herald Tribune