As France prepare to face Morocco in the World Cup quarter-finals on Thursday, Michael Olise has been one of the tournament's standout performers, racking up five assists for Les Bleus. But while the Bayern Munich winger dazzles on the global stage, his younger brother Richard is facing a starkly different reality: the 21-year-old defender was released by Chelsea, leaving him without a club.
Richard joined Chelsea's academy at Under-9 level and worked his way through the youth ranks, even earning a place in the Blues' squad for their Conference League trip to Astana during the 2024/25 campaign. His path has diverged dramatically from that of his older brother, who joined Bayern from Crystal Palace in 2024 and has since scored 42 goals and set up 54 more in 107 appearances for the German giants. Michael himself spent time at Chelsea between 2009 and 2016 before a brief stint at Manchester City.
“Richard Olise released by Chelsea as brother Michael stars at World Cup; Alan Shearer offers to swap goal record for England win.”
With Richard now a free agent, Michael offered advice. 'We never talk about football to be honest,' he told German X account MiaSanMIia. 'We are both in it so much. We talk about life. When you have a setback, take it as a lesson. Use it as time to grow. Someone always has something worse than what you are experiencing. There is no time to complain. Digest what happened, then move on.'
Michael's own future has been the subject of intense speculation. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez claimed he was planning a £130m move for one of Europe's top players, with Olise widely believed to be the target, though Madrid swiftly issued a statement denying any approach for the player.
Elsewhere, Premier League legend Alan Shearer made a striking declaration: he would give up his record as the Premier League's all-time top scorer for an England World Cup win. The former Newcastle striker, who holds the record with 260 goals, said he was willing to sacrifice his biggest career achievement for the ultimate international prize.