Aymeric from France’s youth teams to Spain, while Theo and Lucas took the opposite path
“I made a decision and I’m very happy I made it. There’s not much to say about it.” Aymeric Laporte yesterday on Radio Marca. The Spain centre-back played for France 51 times at youth level, but when it came to making a choice, he ultimately preferred La Roja.
PIONEER
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And he faced significant criticism: “It was tough, yes, but a lot of time has passed now. And another thing: I don’t know why so much attention was paid to my case when there were so many others. I’ve calculated that 22 or 23 of my teammates from France’s youth teams now play for a different national side. You could say that, in some ways, I opened the doors; I normalised it.” The Athletic centre-back is right: his case caused a stir on both sides of the Pyrenees, in Spain and in France.
THE BROTHERS
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Similarly, there was much discussion about where Theo and Lucas Hernandez should play. Born in France, they grew up in Spain, where their father, Jean-François Hernandez, had moved to play football. Lucas was born in February 1996, Theo in October 1997. Their mother is French, and they were born in Marseille, where their father played before moving to Compostela in January 1998, and then to Madrid’s Rayo Vallecano. He later joined Atletico and returned to Vallecas before retiring. The children grew up in Madrid and began playing, joining the academy of Rayo Majadahonda, an Atletico satellite club that trains in Majadahonda, about fifteen kilometres from Madrid. At Rayo Majadahonda, Lucas played alongside Rodri, Spain’s captain, who was also born in 1996.
BUREAUCRATIC ISSUES
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All was well until 2004, when Jean-François Hernandez disappeared from family life. Different versions of events circulate, depending on whether they are told by the brothers or their sister Lauris, who went to live in Thailand with their father. What is certain is the separation. Also certain was Spain’s attempt to persuade Lucas to play for La Roja. Bureaucratic issues, legal delays, indecision, and his mother’s encouragement ultimately led Lucas to France: he debuted in March 2018 and went on to win the World Cup in Russia. 2021 His brother Theo, whose early footballing steps were marked by a lively character, was less courted by Spain and joined Deschamps’ squad in 2021. This was when Laporte debuted for Luis Enrique’s Spain, after years of loyal and productive service to France. It was a controversial switch, which, as the Athletic centre-back points out, later became natural. Now, the Frenchman playing for Spain and the French players raised in Spain face each other as opponents, vying for a World Cup final.
This article was originally written in Italian by La Gazzetta dello Sport editor. The English version has been generated using AI translation tools. If you notice any translation errors or have suggestions, please contact us at [email protected]
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