Aymeric Laporte’s international career took a decisive turn away from France and towards Spain, a choice he says was shaped by Didier Deschamps no longer seeing a place for him in Les Bleus.
Key takeaways
- Laporte was last called into the France squad in September 2019 but withdrew through injury.
- The 32-year-old defender was not selected by France again after that camp.
- He chose to represent Spain after feeling he was not part of Deschamps’ plans.
- Laporte has since won the World Cup, European Championship and Nations League with Spain.
- The defender says his attachment to Spain is rooted in family life as well as football.
A France door that never reopened
Laporte had been involved in several France squads before the September 2019 gathering, only for injury to force him out on that occasion. It proved to be his final call-up for the country of his birth.
Speaking about the decision to switch sporting nationality, the Franco-Spanish centre-back said the absence of a future with France under Deschamps made him reconsider his path.
“My whole family is French, and patriotism is very strong in France,” Laporte said. “I have always loved France, the country where I come from, but when you go through a situation like mine, you have to reassess things.”
He added that Athletic Bilbao, the club where he developed into a leading defender, had played a major role in his relationship with Spain. “Athletic welcomed me with open arms and that is where I improved the most. The France coach did not count on me at all, so I decided to leave.”
Spain brought trophies and a deeper bond
The switch has delivered a decorated international record. As a Spain player, Laporte has collected the World Cup, the European Championship and the Nations League, while also earning far more regular involvement than he had with France.
Yet the defender insisted that medals were not the only reason behind his commitment to the Spanish national side.
“Winning the World Cup, the Nations League and the Euros is special, but I would feel the same pride even without those trophies,” he said. “My wife, my family and my children are from here. I feel very closely connected to Spain.”
