Walid Regragui accepts Lamine Yamal’s decision after Barcelona forward chooses Spain over Morocco
Morocco coach Walid Regragui has revealed the reason behind Barcelona teenage forward Lamine Yamal’s decision to play for Spain, with the player feeling more Spanish than Moroccan, Marca reported on Wednesday.
Yamal has a Moroccan father สนใจสมัคร? คลิกที่นี่เพื่อเริ่มต้น and an Equatorial Guinean mother and was born in Espluques de Llobregat in Barcelona, so the player has the option to play for all three countries, with the 17-year-old forward choosing Spain despite Morocco’s strong persuasion.
‘Lamine Yamal is a young player of the first generation that we tried to bring to Morocco, but he chose Spain and we wish him the best. What he did today was incredible,’ Regragui said.
Yamal made a crucial decision in August 2023, choosing to play for Spain over Morocco, despite Regragi’s best efforts to convince the player.
‘I spoke directly with Lamine Yamal and he was honest with me and with the Moroccan Football Federation,’ Regrakui said. ‘We tried everything with the project we have with Morocco, with the African Cup of Nations in our country, with the 2030 World Cup, with the love that the country has for Lamine. ‘
‘But this kid never lies. He doesn’t play the game of ‘I’m Moroccan or Spanish’ and picks Spain.’
‘Two or three days after talking to him, he called me very politely and said, ‘Boss, thank you for your kindness, but I will choose Spain, I feel Spanish. ‘ He is a very honest boy. ‘
‘We spoke to his family, to him and to his lawyers. That was the first case I encountered when I joined the national team, that was football.’