“I don’t know a Spaniard named Jamal.” Lakjaa reveals the behind-the-scenes of Lamin’s decision and his family’s position | sports

The President of the Moroccan Football Federation, Fawzi Lakjaa, confirmed that Morocco respected Lamine Jamal’s decision to represent the Spanish national team, denying that there was any change in the relationship with the player or his family after deciding his international future.

Lakjaa said, in the new documentary by the French channel Onze Mondial, entitled “From the Inside: The Rise of Moroccan Football,” that Morocco has never objected to the selection of Lamine Jamal, adding: “We respected the player’s choice, and we never changed our dealings with him or his family.”

He added in a sarcastic comment: “I do not know a person in Spain named Lamine Jamal,” referring to the player’s Moroccan origins, before stressing that the player’s family is still connected to its roots, constantly visits the regions of northern Morocco, and will always be welcomed.

Lakjaa explained that the issue of dual nationality players should not be dealt with with a logic of profit and loss, considering that the success of the Moroccan football project has become greater than the individual choices of some talents.

He added that seeing a player of Moroccan origin contribute to the success of another team, such as Spain, reflects the quality of the Moroccan training system, stressing that discovering and developing talent represents one of the most important pillars of the Moroccan football strategy.

Lamine Jamal, of Moroccan origins, chose to represent the Spanish national team, becoming at a young age one of the most prominent stars of Barcelona and “La Roja.”

Lakjaa’s statements came within the documentary that deals with the development of Moroccan football after the team’s historic achievement in the Qatar World Cup in 2022, and its reaching the semi-finals.