Overlooked by Deschamps despite City form, Laporte explains his choice to play for Spain

Aymeric Laporte has given his most direct explanation to date about his change of sporting nationality, specifically targeting Didier Deschamps’ management as the main reason for his decision to join Spain in 2021.

In an interview with former Spanish midfielder Mario Suárez, the 32-year-old defender, now back at Athletic Bilbao, reflected on the three call-ups he received between 2016 and 2019 with the Blues, without ever playing a single minute. An undisputed starter at Manchester City, at the pinnacle of European football, he encountered an indifference he describes bluntly: “At that time, the France team manager did not count on me at all. I was playing at Manchester City, at a high level, so I made the decision to change.”

Born in Agen and trained in France through youth selections, Laporte was able to become a Spanish citizen thanks to his eight years at Bilbao’s academy between 2010 and 2018. He acknowledges that this shift sparked fierce criticism about his attachment to France, attacks that mainly hurt those close to him. “You get used to it from a very young age. It doesn’t hurt you, but your surroundings, like your father or mother. My parents weren’t prepared for that,” he confides.

On the sporting front, the choice proved worthwhile: Laporte became a cornerstone of Spain’s central defence, winning the UEFA Nations League in 2023 and Euro 2024, and surpassing fifty caps with Spain. He also mentions a World Cup among his major titles with the Spanish national team.

Today, Laporte says he has no regrets, anchoring his attachment to Spain far beyond football. “My wife, my family and my children are from here. I feel very attached to Spain,” he concludes, definitively closing the chapter on his relationship with the France team.