Because Team GB hasn’t entered the Olympic Football competition for so long, it tends not to generate as much excitement among the British public as you might expect for a worldwide football competition.
But what a lot of people don't know is that it is the second biggest football event after the World Cup. London 2012 will feature 58 games over 18 days, with over 500 athletes competing – that's more than in Euro 96!
And the competition is taken a lot more seriously elsewhere. In 2008, the Argentinian striker Lionel Messi took his club Barcelona to court for the right to play in the Beijing Games. He lost – but Barcelona eventually let him play.
It was great to see the enthusiasm of everyone at the City of Coventry Stadium today. It really is a fantastic venue with excellent facilities and will hopefully get people excited about the Football competition at London 2012.
My only disappointment was our mascot Wenlock's lack of ball skills. Coventry City's mascot Sky Blue Sam easily outplayed his Olympic opponent – although, he's a had a lot more practice... and it's definitely made Wenlock determined to improve!
