The English Football Association contacted its Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh counterparts about qualifying Great Britain men’s and women’s soccer teams for the Rio 2016 Olympics, according to reports.
Great Britain fielded men’s and women’s teams for the London 2012 Olympics when it received automatic host places in both tournaments, its first Olympic soccer teams since 1960. But that was thought to be a one-time-only appearance.
Olympic soccer is problematic for Great Britain, given its individual nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland field separate teams in FIFA play.
Great Britain would have to qualify for 2016 through the men’s European Under-21 Championships (top four nations) and the women’s World Cup (top three European nations) this summer.
The reports to try to qualify come five months after British Olympic Association chairman Seb Coe said it was “unlikely” Great Britain would try to qualify a men’s soccer team for 2016.
The British men, with the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Ryan Giggs, and the British women lost in the 2012 Olympic quarterfinals.
