Javier Mascherano, a star of Athens 2004... and Beijing 2008?

Four years ago, a promising 有希望的，有前途的 young footballer called Carlos Tévez gave Argentina its first Olympic gold medal for 52 years. At the final whistle of the final men's soccer game, Tévez and his teammates sank to their knees in delight at their win over Paraguay.

But the occasion didn’t have exactly the carnival 狂欢节 feel we expect from a Latin American 拉丁美洲的 final.

While the game entertained millions of viewers back in South America, the stadium in Athens was half-empty. Part of the reason might have been the 10 am kick-off time 开球时间, with the athletics taking precedence 优先 that evening.

This apparent indifference 明显的不重视 to the football trophy is typical of the difficult relationship between men's football and the Olympics.

The problem is partly down to the rise of the club game 俱乐部球赛的增多. The influence 影响 of the top clubs means it's difficult to see 预计 a time when managers will happily see their best players compete in a tournament that has little bearing 没有太多关系 on their club's fortunes.

At present, clubs have to cede 让（给） players under 23 to the national squads, but are under no obligation to release 放走 older, more experienced players for the games.

However, this obstacle 障碍 is not enough to explain why Britain has not fielded 参赛 an Olympic football team since 1974. That is down to a further stumbling block 障碍，阻碍 - and it's a complicated one.

At the Olympics, Team Great Britain comprises （由…什么）组成 competitors from all of Britain’s nation states. But England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have their own football associations and represent 代表 their own countries internationally in the sport. The way forward is unclear.

A phenomenal coach  I would love to have him there because he is a phenomenal coach and a great man manager.   Lord Coe, London 2012 Organising Committee chairman

Yet Lord Coe, the chairman of the 2012 organising committee, has said that he would like to put forward a united Great Britain football side in four years. He has even named Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson as his 'ideal' candidate to lead the side, calling him a 'phenomenal 杰出的，不一般的 coach'.

Commitment impossible  I would not, in any way, shape or form, try and commit myself to something that is four years ahead.   Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United manager

But Sir Alex has responded that he is unlikely to take up a formal offer, saying that he couldn't commit himself 做出承诺（当国家队教练） so far ahead. To emphasise 强调 his words, Sir Alex said he could not commit himself in 'any way, shape or form'.

But whether or not a Great Britain football team becomes a reality in 2012, the Beijing Olympics promise some exciting matches. China’s intense interest 极大的兴趣 in soccer, together with the glamour of playing in the 'Bird’s Nest' Stadium, should mean that there will be a great many more people in the crowd than on the pitch!