Real Madrid midfielder Brahim Diaz, who has dual Spanish and Moroccan nationality, has chosen to play with the Moroccan selection, the Spanish press said on Monday.
The 24-year-old player, born in Malaga to a Spanish mother and a father of Moroccan origin, will wear the Atlas Lions jersey, “due to Spain’s wait-and-see attitude”, writes the sports daily Marca which adds that “Morocco was very involved in Brahim, which Spain did not do”.
“He was not contacted, neither by Luis Enrique nor by Luis de la Fuente (respectively former and current coach of La Roja, editor’s note), he will therefore play the next two friendly matches with Morocco,” assures for his part the radio Cadena Ser.
According to the daily AS, Brahim Diaz would have made his decision after the refusal of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to tell him, before the other internationals, if he would appear on the list of Spanish summons for the friendly matches against Colombia on March 22 in London and Brazil on March 26 in Madrid.
“I respect his position, everyone is free to make their own decisions,” Luis de la Fuente said on Monday, questioned on the subject while participating in a forum organized at a university.
“There are three criteria to be selected. One, being eligible to play with the selection, two, wanting to do so and three, that the coach calls the player. But the most important thing is that the player wants it, without demands or conditions, for the sake of equal rights and duties with the rest of the group,” added the technician.
Luis de la Fuente must publish his list of players called up for the March friendlies on Friday. Brahim Diaz should be summoned for those that Morocco will play against Angola on the 22nd and Mauritania on the 26th.
The midfielder had played only one match with the Spanish Espoirs, in a friendly, which does not prevent him from changing his sporting nationality, against Lithuania in 2021 (4-0 victory).