Leeds United star Junior Firpo has admitted that he tried hard to convince the club to let him be part of the Dominican Republic squad for the Olympics this summer.
Firpo has started each of Leeds’ opening four Championship games and is one of the certainties in Daniel Farke’s first eleven at the moment.
He has been part of Leeds’ pre-season since the start of the summer but it could have been different had he represented the Dominican Republic in the Olympics this summer.
The national team wanted Firpo in their squad but Leeds denied releasing the left-back for the Olympics, which did disappoint the player.
Firpo admitted that he was keen to play for the national team in the Olympics but Leeds were adamant about keeping him.
Junior Firpo and his Olympic disappointment
Firpo indicated that he was desperate to appear in the Olympics in Paris and admitted not getting that opportunity was regrettable as it would have been unique.
He revealed that he kept requesting Leeds to let him go to Paris with the Dominican Republic squad but the Whites stressed that he was an important player for a team who are being tipped for promotion.
Leeds were keen to make sure that Firpo had a full pre-season and started the campaign with the club rather than participate in the summer tournament.
“It was hard”, Firpo was quoted as saying by Mundo Deportivo.
“I tried until the last day but they told me that since I was an important player, one of the leaders and captains, they needed me at the beginning of preseason because the clubs close their business in the preseason and I was one of the keys.
“I was telling them that for me it was going to be something unique but it wasn’t possible.”
Firpo is expected to line up in the starting eleven when Leeds host Burnley at Elland Road on Saturday.
