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Borja Gutiérrez
Malaga
Monday, 11 March 2024, 15:06
Real Madrid's Brahim Díaz will play international football for Morocco, having grown tired of being overlooked by the Spanish national team, SUR can confirm.
Though he was born in Malaga and came through the Blue and Whites' academy (and later Manchester City), Brahim has decided to finally accept the offer to play for Morocco, who have been trying to recruit him since before the 2018 World Cup.
Brahim has North African roots on his father's side, with his paternal grandmother, with the surname Abdelkader, having been born there.
The desire of the now Real Madrid midfielder had been to succeed with Spain (as he did in every youth category since he was part of the under-15s setup). However, the lack of interest shown by the Federation and current coach Luis de la Fuente have finally exhausted the patience of the 24-year-old.
This decision was finalised on Sunday night, as reported by Marca and confirmed by this newspaper, and the Malaga man will obtain Moroccan nationality in the coming days. He will become eligible for selection by Atlas Lions coach Walid Regragui for the upcoming friendly matches against Angola (22 March) and Mauritania (26 March).
The news has had major repercussions for Spanish football, with many left with the feeling that Spain have allowed one of the greatest talents of his generation to get away.
The main trigger for this decision has been a continued refusal to call the player up, both when he was a key player for AC Milan during his three-year loan spell and this year, now that he is one of La Liga's breakout stars since his return to Madrid.
One of Brahim's fears had been that even if he were to be called up by Spain now, he may not get regular game time and could once again miss out on major tournaments. In contrast, in Morocco, they have promised to treat him as the star of their national team, with major events on the horizon such as the Africa Cup of Nations, which they will host in 2025, and the 2030 World Cup, which they will co-host alongside Spain and Portugal.
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