The real reason why Michael Olise was ‘kicked out’ from Chelsea’s academy has come to light, as the winger continues to prove that he is one of the best players in the world. The Bayern Munich superstar has been in brilliant form over the past 12 months, both for the club and for France.
Olise finished the 2026 World Cup with the most assists (seven) of any player in the tournament. But this was nothing new for the 24-year-old, who has shown many flashes of brilliance over the years, including for Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
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Still, it’s because of his performances over the past year that he’s a regular part of the conversation about the 2026 Ballon d’Or award.
Olise thus goes down in history as another special talent Chelsea let go all too easily. Today, no one can understand such an impulsive decision, as they at Stamford Bridge have struggled lately to settle in with players like Alejandro Garnacho and other equally weak wingers – but a reason why he disappeared has now emerged.
Why Chelsea kicked Michael Olise out of their youth academy
Olise appeared at Reading in England’s lower divisions, before expanding his potential at Crystal Palace and then amplifying his talent after his move to Bayern in 2024. But Reading were the last club to get hold of Olise, picking up the pieces after Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City had had him first.
Jose Gomes was the manager at Reading who saw the potential in Olise, and even prevented him from being thrown out there as well.
“Before he turned 14, he was in Arsenal’s youth academy, but he didn’t adapt,” he told AS amid the transfer rumours to Real Madrid.
“Chelsea threw him out for the same reason that some people tried at Reading: because he didn’t show up for lectures and didn’t pay attention to his studies.
Gomes supported Olise when his future at Reading – and perhaps any professional career at the time – was in jeopardy, telling “youth academy directors that the boy didn’t want to be a mathematician or an engineer, but a footballer.”
He also explained: “At [Manchester] City, it was because his teammates laughed at him. He had weak arms, and English boys were strong. When the training coach asked them to do push-ups, he struggled a lot, and his teammates made fun of him. He felt humiliated and left.
How Reading helped develop Olise’s special talents
Olise made his debut for Reading in March 2019 at the age of 17, after being promised a chance by Gomes if he managed to get through physically brutal treatment in training without giving up.
“I told my players not to hold back when it came to tackling him hard in training, so he could learn what professional football is like. Michael complained and cried… He didn’t understand it then.
“I told him that if he could withstand a week of his teammates’ defensive actions without crying, I would call him. In the end, it was two weeks, and when I thought he was ready, I called him.
It’s safe to say that Olise no longer looks like a player trying to deserve the spotlight – he demands it instead. Speed, style, dribbling, passing, set-piece skills, the unstoppable determination to challenge his man and push any defence back – the Frenchman is a player who shows off all the qualities in the playbook a manager could ever want from his winger.
And if the traditional wing was ever a dying art form, it can rightly be argued that the 24-year-old has almost single-handedly contributed to its full-action renaissance. It’s time for him to get his flowers and disprove the aforementioned trio of English clubs.
That said, Olise has received criticism for his approach to media tasks. Following Bayern Munich’s 5–0 win over Bodo/Glimt in September 2026, the London-born Frenchman was heavily criticised after frustrating a DAZN reporter with his direct responses after winning the award as the best of the pitch.
Later today, Sunday, Olise will be a natural part of Bayern Munich’s first eleven in the meeting with Elversberg
