Robin Le Normand reveals Didier Deschamps called him before opting for Spain | OneFootball

After Aymeric Laporte before him, Robin Le Normand has become the second French defender to switch allegiances to Spain amid a lack of opportunities with Les Bleus’ senior squad.

The Breton, who has been playing for Real Sociedad for the last seven seasons, recently became a Spanish citizen and was called up by La Roja for the upcoming June international games.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Spain’s Nations League semi-final against Italy, the 26-year-old has indicated hat France manager Didier Deschamps had called him, but that his decision had already been made.

The former Brest youth player indicated that his mind was quickly made up after he received the call from Spain manager Luis de la Fuente – “After eight years in Spain, having grown up and been educated in Spain, San Sebastián and Real Sociedad have given me a lot.”

He then recognised that there had been last-ditch attempts on the part of Deschamps to convince him otherwise, in what Le Normand describes as a private conversation in which the Basque manager told the defender that he was keeping an eye on him.

“But it didn’t change anything in my mind. It was an intervention which I appreciated, because it’s good when France values you. But Spain was there from the first minute.”

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin