Spanish football authorities are expressing strong dissatisfaction following the decision of Como forward Assane Diao to represent Senegal at the international level.
Diao, 19, previously played for Spain’s youth teams but has accepted a call-up from Senegal for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against South Sudan and Togo.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has raised concerns about the legitimacy of Diao’s switch.
They claim that the necessary official documents confirming his renunciation of Spain have not been received. An RFEF spokesperson stated, “This is an unfair act to force the boy to play for them when he hasn’t decided yet. And the necessary documents to call him up are missing.”
Diao, born in Ndangane, Senegal, moved to Spain at a young age and developed his football skills there. He played for Spain’s U18, U19, and U21 teams and was part of the squad that won the U19 European Championship.
In January, he transferred from Real Betis to Como for €12 million and has since scored five goals in 10 Serie A appearances.
Senegal’s national team coach, Pape Thiaw, met with Diao in Spain to persuade him to join the Senegalese squad.
Thiaw expressed confidence in Diao’s commitment to Senegal, stating, “We are convinced that he will choose to represent Senegal.”
Spain’s national team coach, Luis de la Fuente, emphasized the importance of players’ personal choices regarding their international careers.
He said, “No one is obliged to come and play with Spain. With total freedom of all decisions, whoever wants to play with Spain, will play.”
The RFEF had considered calling up Diao for the U21 national team but now faces the possibility of losing him to Senegal permanently.
