De la Fuente confirms Real Madrid starlet wants to play for Spain over Morocco – ‘The best news’ | OneFootball

Spanish national team coach Luis de la Fuente has confirmed that Real Madrid starlet Thiago Pitarch wants to play for Spain despite interest from the Moroccan national team.

It must be noted that in recent weeks, the Moroccan national team had been actively exploring the possibility of convincing the young midfielder to represent them at the international level. 

As such, Pitarch’s eligibility for Morocco comes from his family roots, with his grandfather originally from Al Hoceima.

However, despite that link and Morocco’s efforts, the player is fully committed to representing the Spain national team, a decision that has now been publicly confirmed by senior national team coach Luis de la Fuente.

Spain all the way

The 18-year-old’s trajectory within Spain’s setup continues to move in the right direction, as he has recently been included in the Under-19 squad for the upcoming Elite Round tournament.

Speaking about the situation, De la Fuente made it clear how important this commitment is for the national team’s future.

“The good news here is that Thiago wants to play for Spain,” he began, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.

Thiago Pitarch wants to play for Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

“He wants to play for Spain, and he will play for the U-19 team, which he’s eligible for. 

“They are playing a lot of matches right now: the European Championship, the U-20 World Cup qualifiers, or even with the U-21 team if the coach sees fit, or with the senior team when the time comes.”

The national team coach then confirms that Pitarch himself is committed to representing La Roja.

“The best news is that he is a young man committed to the Spanish national team, and that makes us very happy, as it does many others.

“I’d also like to take this opportunity to say that if someone decides otherwise and chooses to play for another country, we respect that, and I personally respect his decision and wish him the best. 

“I want you to understand that the matter often goes beyond what the federations or the fans want; the player is free to make the decision he deems appropriate,” he concluded.