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The Boycotts, and team withdrawals in Football at the Olympics

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Boycotts and team withdrawals for political or other reasons used to occur frequently in Olympic football.

The Olympic Games have historically been fraught with political issues. Previously, there had been boycotts, team withdrawals, and even a tragic one, such as the 1972 massacre in Munich by the terrorists affiliated by Palestinian militant group. During that incident, 17 people were killed, including one West German police officer and 11 athletes and coaches included in Israeli Olympic team.

Political issues frequently resulted in boycotts and team withdrawals. This primarily occurred after World War II and during the Cold War era. The latter one even triggered such boycotts and withdrawals in three Olympics editions, Melbourne 1956, Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984. Fortunately, the 1984 was the last one to date. No more of such which had stained the spirit of fair play and respect in sport event. Here are the list of each and every of such which also impacted the contestants in football at the Olympics.

Olympic editions

Withdrawn teams - reason

Other fun facts in football

Athens 1896

(no football)

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Paris 1900

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St.Louis 1904

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-

London 1908

Hungary & Bohemia (Czechia today) – financial reasons

France sent two teams (First team and reserve team)

Stockholm 1912

Belgium – lack of available players

France – reason unknown

Bohemia was rejected as their association was voted out of FIFA in 1908

Antwerp 1920

Czechoslovakia – protesting the referee’s decision in the middle of the final (they left the game in the 39th minute leading to abandoning the match. Belgium was consequently awarded the gold medal)

-          Central Power countries from WW1 (Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary, Turkey and Austria) weren’t invited.

-          England, Scotland and Ireland withdrew from FIFA since request to FIFA for central-powers countries’ expulsion was rejected.

-          Egypt became the first non-European team to compete

Paris 1924

Great Britain & Denmark – protesting regarding the lack of clarity on amateur player status.

The first edition with participants from four continent.

Uruguay became the first participant from CONMEBOL.

Amsterdam 1928

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Los Angeles 1932

(no football)

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Berlin 1936

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The first edition Asian teams participated (represented by Japan and China)

London 1948

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The first ever football international tournament was broadcast on TV

Helsinki 1952

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Melbourne 1956

Hungary – Soviet invasion in their territory

Egypt – protesting Israeli, British and French invasion

China – protesting the reception of Taiwan

Turkey, South Vietnam

The last edition with direct knockout round

Roma 1960

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The first edition with group stages.

Tokyo 1964

Italy – disqualified due to fielding non amateur players

North Korea – six of their players did not get immigration clearance

Poland was expected to take Italy place but refused due to the lack of preparation time.

Mexico City 1968

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Japan became the first Asian team to win medal in football (bronze)

Munich 1972

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-          The second group stage in the second round was used

-          USSR and East Germany shared the bronze medal after their match was proven to be fixed.

Montreal 1976

Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia – protesting the participation of New Zealand (their rugby team had a tour in South Africa despite the Soweto uprising which had 176 children as the main casualties)

Uruguay – reason unknown

Uruguay was replaced by Cuba after Argentina declined the opportunity.

The second round group stage was no longer used.

Moscow 1980

Ghana, Egypt, Iran, Argentina, Norway, Malaysia and USA (protesting the USSR invasion to Afghanistan)

Nigeria, Zambia, Syria, Venezuela, Finland, Iraq, and Cuba replaced them respectively.

Los Angeles 1984

USSR, East Germany and Czechoslovakia – Warsaw-pact boycott

West Germany, Norway and Italy replaced them respectively.

Seoul 1988

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Barcelona 1992

 

Back pass rule was firstly introduced

Atlanta 1996

-

 

Sydney 2000

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Athens 2004

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Beijing 2008

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London 2012

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Rio de Janeiro 2016

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Tokyo 2020

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Paris 2024

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