Laporte: I have always loved France but I do not regret choosing to represent Spain

The French-Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte has confirmed that he feels no regret about his decision to change his sporting nationality and choose to represent Spain in 2021, noting that his connection to the country where he has lived since the age of fifteen was a key factor in his decision.

Aymeric Laporte, 32, stated in an interview with the YouTube channel "El camino de Mario" that he would feel the same pride even if he hadn't won titles with Spain, explaining: "My wife, family, and children are from here, and I feel a strong connection to Spain." Since joining the Spanish national team, Laporte has become a key figure in their defense, having played 55 international matches and scored two goals.

The defender added: "It has been a long process; there was an initial attempt a year and a half or two years ago, but it was not possible for various reasons. After that, we started negotiations, and they wanted me to join, and we agreed that it was a unique opportunity that should not be missed."

Laporte represented France at youth levels and was called up by Didier Deschamps to the senior national team twice in 2016 and 2017, but he did not participate in any matches, leaving the door open for him to switch to represent Spain, the country where he completed his football development after moving to Athletic Bilbao.

Laporte explained: "I was born in Agen and lived there until I was 15, then I moved to Bilbao. My whole family is French, and in France, patriotism is very strong. I have always loved France, my home country, but when you live a situation like mine, you have to rethink your way of thinking. Athletic Bilbao welcomed me wonderfully, and I developed there more than anywhere else. The French national team coach never relied on me at all, so I decided to leave."

Aymeric Laporte has previously spoken about his relationship with Didier Deschamps, confirming that his lack of continuation with the French national team was also linked to his personal relationship with the coach. He said in 2021: "If I joined the French national team and then didn't return, it was because the personal relationships weren't going well. I couldn't wait any longer. The years were passing, and in the end, the coach himself was there. If I wanted to participate in international tournaments, I had to make decisions, and I had to make this decision."

He added: "Today I am very happy and I feel very comfortable with the Spain national team. This also suits me personally," pointing out that some discussions with Deschamps "were not necessarily the most pleasant."

Since choosing to represent Spain, Laporte has won three titles with "La Roja": the UEFA Nations League in 2023, the UEFA European Championship in 2024, and the FIFA World Cup in 2026.