Achraf Hakimi explains decision to snub Spain for Morocco

Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi has opened up on his decision to reject the opportunity to represent Spain during his early years at Real Madrid.

The 26-year-old, who rose through the ranks at the club before breaking into the first team under Zinedine Zidane, revealed that Real Madrid once encouraged him to train with Spain’s youth setup.

However, the experience did not convince him to switch allegiance.

“Real Madrid had told me to go train with the Spanish youth team. I went for two or three days, and I didn’t feel comfortable,” Hakimi told the Bridge.

He added that his choice to represent Morocco was made early, guided by personal conviction rather than external influence.

“I chose Morocco even before I was part of Real Madrid’s first team. You have to make this decision based on your feelings. It’s more of a personal matter than someone coming and talking to you about the project.

“Today there’s a coach, and tomorrow another coach will come with a different mentality.”

Hakimi, who left Real Madrid in 2018 for Borussia Dortmund before spells at Inter Milan and now Paris Saint-Germain, has gone on to become a key figure for Morocco.

He has earned 95 international caps and is the current CAF Men’s Player of the Year.