Bayern Munich’s talented Brazilian winger Douglas Costa has withdrawn from the Rio Olympics due to injury, the German champions said on Monday.
Costa had been chosen along with Barcelona’s Neymar among the over-age players in Brazil’s squad for the first summer Games in South America.
Bayern said on their website (www.fcbayern.de) that an injury to Costa’s left thigh had not healed and they had told the Brazilian football federation that the player could not be released.
“I greatly regret this,” said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. “We all wanted Douglas to contest the Olympic Games in his home country, but the player’s health and fitness takes priority.”
Bayern said Costa, who joined them a year ago from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, would continue his sports rehabilitation programme in Munich.
The Olympic gold medal is the only major soccer title the five times world champions have never won.