The Yamal affair... Walid Regragui reveals all

The head coach of Morocco, Walid Regragui, spoke about the Lamine Yamal case in a statement to the Iberian press.

Read also: After his re-election... The three challenges awaiting Motsepe at CAF

Born in Spain to a Moroccan father and a mother from Equatorial Guinea, the Barça prodigy chose to wear the Roja jersey.

In an interview granted to AS, the coach of the "Atlas Lions" unveiled new elements in the Lamine Yamal dossier.

It was his choice. He was clear with me. I met him after one of his first starts with Barcelona. We only had an hour because there is a curfew at La Masia, they have to be inside before noon as they are minors. I met him with his grandfather. We talked about the project, the fact that he would have a fixed place in the team, that we had the Africa Cup of Nations, a World Cup in 2026, and the 2030 World Cup at home. "You can make history with Morocco...". I gave him all the love I could. The federation tried everything. But he chose his family. He called me. "Coach, I'm going to play for Spain," he told me. "I was born here and played in the youth teams," he argued, and I understood that for him, it was the most natural thing to do. I thanked him for his respect. If you think about it and change your mind in a few days, you have my number, call me," I told him... (laughs). I wish him good luck.

Lamine Yamal following in Lionel Messi's footsteps

The young Blaugrana forward seems well on his way to following in Lionel Messi's footsteps thanks to his exceptional skills. In 98 matches played with the Catalan club, he has scored 21 goals and provided 31 assists.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.