Morocco’s Hakimi: How the PSG Star Chose Atlas Lions Over Spain’s La Roja

Born in Madrid to Moroccan parents, Achraf Hakimi could have chosen to play for La Roja. But he preferred to wear the Moroccan jersey. Nasser Larguet says he was seduced from the start by the athletic performances of the PSG star. "When I arrived as technical director, I decided to set up a camp for the U17s in Ploufragan (Côtes-d’Armor) in 2015. There were 24 players from Morocco, 14 from Europe and five or six from Takassa, including Hakimi. We organized friendly matches against Rennes, Lorient, Caen and Gabon’s U17s. Hakimi was already what he is today. At 17, he had a monstrous running volume. And I don’t know why, but I gave him the captain’s armband," he confides to L’Équipe.

Thus begins the beautiful career of the Moroccan right-back. "We then did the UNAF tournament with Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt (from June 7 to 11, 2015). Generally, we would get thrashed by the Tunisians, but we won this tournament. And he was captain. It’s his first trophy. He never left the team afterwards, but one day what had to happen happened..." Hakimi is called up by Spain and had trouble deciding. "[...] He was a bit scared, because if he didn’t honor the selection, what would have happened to his contract at Real Madrid, etc.? I told him: ’I advise you to go, because you’ll have the opportunity to compare, you’ll make your choice in your heart and conscience’," Larguet explains.

Upon his return, the young player was "a bit lost". To help him choose his sporting nationality, the former technical director decides "to go see him in Madrid with his dad and his two Spanish agents". "We had a meeting in a hotel. I told him: ’if you choose Spain, you will always be a Moroccan and we will always be your first supporters. We will even have been happy to know that you played some matches with us. And if you choose Morocco, we will be the happiest... With your qualities and if you work, you will play more in the A team with Morocco than with Spain, but it’s your choice! I give you half an hour to think about it. I have to discuss with another player in the hotel.’ I came back, he told me: ’It’s good, it’s Morocco!’," Larguet details.

During this same trip, Larguet met Hervé Renard, then coach of the Atlas Lions, and asked him to "try a young kid who has enormous potential". This is how Achraf Hakimi will be called up for the first time to the Moroccan national team for the friendly match against Albania (0-0), played on August 31, 2016. But he didn’t enter the field. The young talent will make his debut with the Atlas Lions on October 11, 2016 against Canada (4-0). He will only be called up again on September 1, 2017 against Mali (6-0). "Frankly, he was in love with Morocco, he was raised in it," confides the former technical director who is proud of the Moroccan international’s success. "It’s an immense pride for me to see him at this level today. I watch a lot of matches and in his position, he’s the best in the world."