Yassine Bounou pulls out all the stops to convince Thiago Pitarch

The Moroccan federation is actively pursuing its strategy of recruiting dual-nationals. After recently naturalizing six young talents playing in the Netherlands and Belgium, including Ajax player Rayane Bounida, Morocco is now targeting a high-profile target. The objective is to convince Thiago Pitarch, who has only played up to the under-21 category with Spain, to imitate the choices of Brahim Díaz, Achraf Hakimi or Ilias Akhomach.

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Benefiting from his status as captain of the team, the former Seville goalkeeper took advantage of the friendly match to address the midfielder directly, whose paternal grandparents are Moroccan. According to the comments reported by the Spanish daily Sport, Yassine Bounou sent a clear message: "He should know that here, we will always welcome him with open arms."

The goalkeeper nevertheless stressed the freedom of choice of the young athlete in the face of his dual identity. "He has family here and also in Spain. He will do what he really feels. Any player with a link to Morocco is welcome. And even more so if he is a Real Madrid player," he specified.

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This seduction offensive comes as Morocco, declared the winner of the Africa Cup of Nations by CAF two months after the Rabat final, seeks to capitalize on its performances at the 2022 World Cup. When questioned about the controversy over this continental title, as the Court of Arbitration for Sport has just accepted Senegal’s appeal, Bounou briefly evaded the subject by stating: "We are thinking about what is to come."