Ferguson's Olympic ultimatum to Heinze

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Ferguson's Olympic ultimatum to Heinze



LONDON (AFP) - Alex Ferguson has told Argentina defender Gabriel Heinze to skip next month's Athens Olympics or never play for Manchester United


Heinze, 26, has been called up to the Argentina Under-23 squad for Athens as an over-age player following his 6.9 million pound (12.5 million dollar) move to Old Trafford from Paris St Germain.


And United will also be without Cristiano Ronaldo for the first month of the English Premiership after Portugal named the winger in their Olympic squad.


But Ferguson warned Heinze: "This situation could deny Gabriel Heinze a career at Manchester United.


"The left-back position was his. But at the start of the season I am going to have to have someone else in there if he is at the Olympics.


"He could find it difficult to get into the team. In fact, he may never play a game for Manchester United.


"He has an opportunity to start a career here but that has been taken from him.


"It is a different situation to Ronaldo. We saw what he could do last season. He has started his career here. Gabriel has not."


Ronaldo and Heinze will miss the season opener against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on August 15 plus three other Premiership matches.


Ferguson was reportedly trying to contact Heinze, who is preparing for Sunday's Copa America final against Brazil in Peru, to try to obtain his release.


"These players are going to be exhausted," he said.


Ferguson fears he may be without 19-year-old Ronaldo for two months.


Ronaldo has been lined up for the Olympics and immediately after that for two internationals in September.


"I would have no choice but to give him two months off," Ferguson said.


However, United's chances of securing the players' release are slim.


The Olympic tournament is a FIFA-recognised competition meaning that a club would face severe sanctions for withdrawing a player.