Scottish FA may block Great Britain women's team at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

  • By Chris McLaughlin
  • BBC Scotland

Image source, SNS

Image caption, Scotland, like their English counterparts, are heading to next year's Women's World Cup

The Scottish FA could block plans for a Great Britain women's football team at the next Olympic Games.

It was thought a deal had been done after Fifa announced that all four home nations had agreed to allow players to participate at the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

But the SFA is to look at the issue again and could scupper the agreement.

Frustration is understood to centre around the nomination of England to try and claim one of the three European spots available at the 2019 World Cup.

If England succeeded in taking one of the qualification places in France, it would then be handed to Team GB.

But with Scotland having also qualified for the Women's World Cup, some believe that plan to be seriously flawed.

Team GB fielded a women's and men's team at the London 2012 Games but the nations failed to agree to a similar deal for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The home nations fear the emergence of a Team GB football side could threaten individual member status within Fifa, despite the governing body saying it would not.

One SFA source, who is against the idea, told BBC Scotland: "There's a determination to prioritise the interests of the Scottish women's national team above everything else."

The SFA say they will not comment on the matter until after their board meeting on Thursday.

The draw for the World Cup takes place on Saturday.