Typically, it's a huge blow when a club is without one of their best attacking players for the pre-season and early stages of the following campaign. And indeed, there are some negatives for Bayern Munich in having Douglas Costa leave their squad to prepare for and compete in the Olympics this August.
The 25-year-old took like a fish to water following his transfer fromShakhtar Donetsk to the Allianz Arena side last summer, and his absence may well be noticed as the Bavarians take their first steps under incoming coach Carlo Ancelotti.
At the same time, what may appear as a sizable handicap may not be all that bad for Bayern. And ultimately, there may be more positives than negatives from Costa's Olympic bid.
The first thing to remember regarding Costa's participation in the Olympics is that, in terms of stress and strain, it isn't equivalent to involvement in the European Championship or World Cup. The tournament spans just 16 days, from August 4-20. That's about half the duration of this summer's Euros, which began on June 10 and will end on July 10.
Moreover, the Olympics are limited in terms of the wear and tear they cause on players due to the fact that there is an age restriction. Under-23 athletes may be physically mature, but there will be plenty of teenagers at the tournament. And many of the big guns will have weakened squads due to participation in Euro 2016 and the CopaAmerica.
Germany, for example, have prioritized the Euros and will send a more or less under-21 squad to the Olympics. As well, Argentina will be without Lionel Messi after their talismanic forward participated in theCopa. Costa will have to play hard to lift Brazil to glory, but the intensity of football should be a cut below the Champions League.
Having established that the Olympics will not be quite as strenuous as other summer competitions, the potential rewards of Costa's participation can be assessed.
The most obvious benefit for Costa is a huge boost of confidence. He has a good chance of being the stand-out star of the tournament, or at least one of the very best players. And although it might be a case of a big fish in a smaller pond, a gold medal is a gold medal. It would be a meaningful honor for Costa personally and for his country.
There is an obvious downside of missing pre-season and an introduction to Ancelotti's system, but the Olympics can serve as a pre-season of sorts for Costa, who showed last year he can adapt to a new environment without much trouble.
Another benefit of Costa's Olympics participation is that the Brazilian will not immediately be in conflict with Franck Ribery. Last season, it appeared that the veteran lost his starting role to Costa whilst injured. And when Ribery became fit again, an injury to Arjen Robben meant that Costa and Ribery could start in the same team. Yet with Ribery,Robben and Costa probable to be fit as the 2016-17 club season approaches, the presence of Costa would likely have kept Riberyrelegated to the bench.
With Costa away, Ribery will have a chance to show what he still has left in the tank. It's good for Bayern and Ancelotti to know what to expect of the veteran, who otherwise may not have been able to make his best appeal. It's not ideal for Costa's situation at Bayern, but Riberyand the club overall stand to benefit.
The final point, and one not to be underestimated, is that letting Costa attend the Olympics without any protest is avoiding conflict with the player. Had Bayern opposed his decision, it could have backfired with disastrous effect. Consider when Rafinha experienced resistance fromSchalke ahead of the 2008 Olympics. A Court of Arbitration for Sport decision (as reported by Deutsche Welle) ruled that clubs were not required to release their players for the Olympics, but Rafinharepresented Brazil nonetheless. Per SportBild (h/t Chris Ives ofSkySports), Schalke fined him a record €700,000 for breaching his contract, resulting in some seriously bad blood between the player and club.
Costa means too much to this Bayern team for the club to risk muddying the water, and it seems the Bavarians have no intent to. It may be partly good intention from the Bavarians, but there must be a certain amount of self-preservation in mind.
At first glance, it seems a negative that Bayern will be without Costa for the opening weeks of the 2016-17 season, but in reality, what appears obvious may not be very much so. They have enough depth to manage without Costa for a short while, and it's a good chance for Ribery to prove himself. And although Costa will miss the pre-season withBayern, he won't likely return too fatigued and could well come back full of confidence. That might well be worth his temporary absence atBayern.
