Spain: Aymeric Laporte takes a swipe at Didier Deschamps

In recent hours, Spanish international defender Aymeric Laporte reflected on his decision to represent Spain.

In an interview with Mario Suárez on YouTube, Athletic Club defender Aymeric Laporte explained that the French coach’s lack of confidence in him had influenced his decision. “My whole family is French, and patriotism is very strong in France. I have always loved France, my country of origin, but when you find yourself in a situation like mine, you are forced to reconsider your position. Athletic Bilbao welcomed me with open arms, and that is where I made the most progress. The France coach did not count on me at all, so I decided to leave,” he said.

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Naturalized as a Spanish citizen in 2021, Laporte fully stands by this decision. With La Roja, he has won the 2026 World Cup, the Nations League and Euro 2024. The defender also stressed the importance of his family environment in this sense of belonging: “My wife, my family and my children are from here. I feel very attached to Spain.”

The former Manchester City player also recounted the process that led him to change national teams: “we agreed that it was a unique opportunity not to be missed.”

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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