Portugal turns down Chelsea request to spare Tiago from Olympics

The Portuguese Football Federation has turned down a request by Chelsea to exclude their new signing Tiago Mendes from Portugal's squad for next month's Olympic Games.

The Portuguese Football Federation has turned down a request by Chelsea to exclude their new signing Tiago Mendes from Portugal's squad for next month's Olympic Games.

"We can't spare players who in the opinion of the national coach are important to the national squad," federation president Gilberto Madail told daily newspaper 24Horas.

Portugals Olympic squad, which also includes Manchester United teen winger Cristiano Ronaldo and Fulhams Luis Boa Morte, are scheduled to meet up on August 1, before flying to Greece a week later.

The English-based players could miss two weeks of the Premiership season if Portugal manage to reach the Olympic soccer final on Aug 28. Portugal are in Group D along with Costa Rica, Iraq and Morocco.

Chelsea's new Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho has said that taking part in the Olympics would not benefit Tiago's career and he wrote to the Portuguese Football Federation to ask that the midfielder be spared from the Games.

Tiago, 23, who last week signed with Chelsea from Benfica on a three-year deal reportedly worth 12 million euros (14.5 million dollars), has told English media he wants to be released from Portugal's squad for Athens so he can play for the London-based club.

"It is strange that he did not adopt that position while he was still a player with Benfica," said Madail, who added no other player had adopted a similar position after being called up for Olympic duty.