Rohr Reveals Why Michael Olise Turned Down Nigeria

Former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has revealed that Michael Olise chose not to represent Nigeria due to the player’s desire to play for a top European side.

Michael Olise, now a key figure at Bayern Munich, was eligible to play for Nigeria through his British-Nigerian father, as well as France, Algeria and England.

Olise eventually committed to France and made his senior debut in 2024, having earlier been on Nigeria’s standby list for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers while at Reading.

Speaking on BRILA FM, Rohr recalled the moment he and his staff tried to convince the then-young midfielder.

“In 2019 I and my assistant saw this player, we went to watch a match and we tried to invite him but he didn’t want to join us because I think he already knew he would have a big future with a European team,” he said.

“He could play for several countries, of course, this was seven years ago, can you imagine. We saw him, so strong but unfortunately he refused to play for Nigeria.”

Olise’s career has since surged. After youth spells at Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City, he rose to prominence at Reading, where he won the English Football League Young Player of the Season award in 2021. That form earned him a move to Crystal Palace, where he made his Premier League debut against Tottenham Hotspur.

The winger’s decision has paid off on the international stage. He was part of the France squad that claimed silver in the football event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Club success has followed too. Olise has already secured another Bundesliga title with Bayern and remains in contention for the UEFA Champions League and German Cup.

He further demonstrated his importance this week by scoring against Paris Saint-Germain in Bayern’s dramatic 5-4 Champions League semi-final first-leg defeat.