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As teenage Real Madrid wonderkid Thiago Pitarch finds himself at the centre of a tug-of-war between Morocco and Spain, Walid Regragui has moved to clarify his stance on players with dual nationality.
Speaking to Spanish newspaper AS, Regragui dismissed suggestions that Morocco aggressively pursues players of Moroccan origin.
“Football has changed, the world has changed,” he said. “It’s a multicultural world. Look at Spain – Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal, Aymeric Laporte, Robin Le Normand. What we want is for the best to play with us.”
The 17-year-old starlet, born in Al Hoceima, has sparked a tug-of-war between Morocco and Spain after breaking through in the UEFA Youth League with La Roja, the Spanish team.
Of his approach to recruitment, Regragui stressed the importance of Morocco’s sporting project and infrastructure.
“We do our job. We speak to players about the project, the fans, and the affection they’ll receive. Morocco now has world-class facilities and will host a World Cup with stadiums of the future,” he added.
Regragui also made it clear he prefers players who commit early to those who dither over their options.
“With the spirit I want for the national team, it’s better to choose early. When you hesitate, you show uncertainty. We talk to them young to understand their attitude. If they pick Morocco, fantastic. If they opt for France, Spain, Belgium… we wish them well.”
Pitarch rose through the ranks at Atlético Madrid, Getafe, and Leganés before joining Real Madrid. He has already been approached by the Moroccan Football Federation in recent weeks.
