Vicente del Bosque has spoken about Spain’s attempt to nationalise Lionel Messi back when he was young.
The Argentine Barcelona star was brought to Europe as a 13-year-old and the Spain boss says back in the day, they did try and change his nationality.
In an interview with the Guardian he said: “There was an attempt to do [nationalise him] so but he decided to stick with the country of his birth; he remained steadfast.
“That’s a phenomenon that we cannot turn our back on or pretend doesn’t exist. We don’t know where the next Messi or the next Ronaldo is going to come from: it could be one of those who arrives here from another country looking to make a better life.”