Brighton and Hove Albion youngster Julio Enciso has revealed again how he had to stand up to the club to ensure he could play in the Olympics this summer.
The midfielder has been speaking to ABC ahead of joining the Paraguayan under-23s for the tournament in Paris this summer.
They explain how Enciso has received permission from Brighton and will be one of the Carlos Jara Saguier’s options this summer as they compete for gold.
Enciso’s inclusion in the competition had been in doubt, with reports earlier this year making it clear that Brighton had initially rejected Paraguay’s attempts to include him in their squad.
That led to meetings with Enciso to discuss the matter and a report earlier this week made it clear the decision had only been made last minute to allow him to go.
Enciso had always been clear on his desire to compete in France and had made his feelings apparent to Brighton, who it seems had not been swayed by his desires initially.
He managed to convince them to reverse their thinking, though, telling journalists at the airport as he flew to Paris that he essentially stood up to Brighton’s president on the matter.
“Being in the national team is a privilege and pride,” he said.
“When the president told me no, that I had to be in Japan doing the pre-season, I told him no, that please I wanted to be with the national team, to let me represent the country in the Olympic Games.
“I never lost hope. The national team and the APF (Paraguayan Football Association), the president also did their job and were able to achieve it.
“Being in the national team is a privilege. This had been going on for a while, I had been talking to the club and the coach. Obviously it was difficult because they wanted to count on me and because we have a new coach.”
