The case of Brahim Díaz continues to make people talk. The Real Madrid attacker, born in Malaga, has opted for Morocco, the team with which he will make his debut next Saturday against Angola. However, this is not the only case in which a footballer born in Spain chooses to play for another team. In fact, in the Region of Murcia there are eleven players born here who decided on another country. They are the following.
Leandro Antonetti (13-01-2001)
Born in Murcia, he currently plays for Lugo, where he has scored one goal in 21 games. The attacker opted for Puerto Rico, he played in the under-17 and under-20 categories. With the senior team he has played eight games, scoring two goals.
Mourad Daoudi (05-27-1998)
The attacker was born in Balsapintada and since he was little he was in the youth ranks of Real Murcia, he was asked several times to return to the Grana team, such as in the summer of 2022. However, his signing was never closed. He finally found a place in Burgos and under the tutelage of Julian Calero he scored three goals in 35 league games. He is currently at Elche and has never played in Spain’s youth teams. He waits for Morocco.
1. Leandro Antonetti, born in Murcia, in a match with the national team of his parents’ country. 2. Santomera native Nabil Touaizi celebrates a goal with the Moroccan under-23 team.
Nabil Touaizi (01-02-2001)
Despite his young age, the player born in Santomera has an extensive resume in the affiliates of Valencia, Manchester City, Espanyol and Atlético de Madrid. Such is what the Moroccan striker promised that the ‘citizen’ team did not hesitate to pay 300.00 euros to Valencia to acquire his services in 2017.
He wore the colors of La Roja from the sub-16 to sub-19 categories. He even played in the U17 European Championship, where he lost in the quarterfinals against Belgium. In this tournament he scored a goal and gave an assist. However, some time later, he opted for Morocco, playing friendlies with the U-23 team in 2022 and the U-20 Africa Cup in 2021. For two years he has not been considered for selection with any country.
After his ‘Erasmus’ in Manchester he returned to Spain with Espanyol, in the second team Perico scored seven goals in the 81 games he played during his three seasons. Touaizi managed to debut in the First Division last year. This season he competes with the Atlético de Madrid subsidiary in Primera RFEF where he has two goals, one of them against Real Murcia. Although he is not a fixture in the eleven, he plays a lot.
David Vassilev (20-01-2004)
Although it seemed like it was going to be his year at the Valencia Mestalla, the Aquiline goalkeeper will have to continue waiting for his opportunity. He played two of the first four league games, but has not appeared since. In addition, David Vassilev debuted with the under-17 and under-19 categories of Bulgaria, the country of his father.
Rachad Fettal (16-01-2005)
The young pachequero joined the Almería team at the age of 16 and is growing by leaps and bounds. Proof of this is that he debuted with the first team in December against Betis and a few days later he played against Barbastro in the Copa del Rey. In the 21-22 and 22-23 seasons he scored 61 goals for the Almería youth team. He played with the youth teams of Spain (under-18) and Morocco (under-20), scoring two goals in three games with La Roja and one goal in five with the Atlas Lions.
Adnane Bensaad (10-21-2005)
The Spanish-Moroccan forward, with a past at Imperial, moved last season to Atlético de Madrid’s under-19 team, where he has scored 12 goals so far. This good performance caught the attention of Morocco U20 to have the striker in their ranks. Adnane has two goals in the seven games he has played with the Moroccan national team under-20.
Hicham Khaloua (05-07-1995)
Born in San Javier, the attacker has played for various teams such as Almería B, Celta B, Castellón, Melilla, UCAM or Cádiz B. His limit in Spain is playing one season (2017-18) in the Second Division with Almería. Since 2020 he has been playing in Morocco, two seasons at Moghreb Tetouan and the last two at Unión de Touarga de Rabat.
Ismail El Harchi (01-30-1999)
He currently belongs to Formentera of the Second RFEF and at 25 years old he has an extensive career, he started in the youth teams of Murcia and Kelme. He went through Estudiantes Murcia, Ciudad de Murcia and the Cartagena subsidiary. He was in the United States, in the ranks of the Greensboro Spartans. This year he returned to Spain, signing for the Balearic team. He played for Morocco, although he was born in Santomera.
Carlos Conejero (05-07-2004)
The Murcian midfielder from Plus Ultra has never played with the Spanish youth teams. He did manage to debut with the Dominican Republic under-20 team. He went through the Real Murcia, UCAM and Ranero youth teams.
Luis D. González (01-08-2002)
Although he was born in Murcia, the Spanish-Colombian footballer played in the bases of Colombian teams such as Estudiantes del Otún or Hugo Castaño. Right now he is halfway between the U-20 and the Pereira first team, with whom he debuted in January. He is not international in any category for Colombia or Spain.
Jairo Quinteros (02-07-2001)
He grew up in Cartagena and left the Albinegro reserve team. He is an absolute international with Bolivia, the country of his parents. Inter Miami, Zaragoza and currently Bolívar have been his teams. He is a central defender who came through the Valencia youth academy and has a good reputation in American soccer.