Two French Spaniards meet two Spanish Frenchmen
In the first European Championship semifinal, Spain faces France. The fact that these are neighboring countries is also reflected in their squads: In the Spanish squad, there are two footballers born in France, while France fields two players who either spent only or many years in Spain - but never for a French professional team.
Spain vs. France: This is also the duel of two neighboring countries. The border between the two nations is over 600 kilometers long, and on this Tuesday (21:00/ZDF, MagentaTV and live at ntv.de), they will face each other in the semifinal of the European Football Championship in Munich. In the Spanish squad, there are two players born in France, but they had no chance in the Tricolore team. For the French, a duo is present that either only or spent many years in Spain - but never for a French professional team.
France's Antoine Griezmann: He says about himself, "I think in French, but I get angry in Spanish." The 134-time French national team player of the Grand Nation was born in Mâcon, not far from Lyon. But already at the age of 14, Griezmann moved to Spain to join Real Sociedad's youth academy in San Sebastián. At first, he lived with the scout who had introduced him. In the summer of 2014, Griezmann was drawn to Atlético Madrid, where he - interrupted by a stint at FC Barcelona - has played since then.
Against his adopted homeland, the 33-year-old World Cup winner of 2018 risks a place on the bench due to disappointing performances. "The coach had to make decisions, and so far, everything has gone well," said national team player Adrien Rabiot. "We know what Antoine is capable of. We have expectations when it comes to Antoine."
France's Théo Hernandez: They both wanted to play for Spain at one point. "Spain gave me everything," Lucas once said. "I speak better Spanish than French." After ten years there, a Spanish passport was no problem.
At the European Championship, Lucas is not in the French squad because he suffered a cruciate ligament injury with Paris Saint-Germain against Borussia Dortmund in May. Théo is there. They speak to each other every day. The match against Spain is also special for them, as Lucas intends to attend according to statements from Trainer Didier Deschamps.
Théo Hernandez, born in Marseille, played in the youth academy of Atlético Madrid from the age of nine. Other stations: Alaves, Real Sociedad, and Real Madrid. Since the summer of 2019, Théo Hernandez has played for AC Milan. In the French Ligue 1, he never played.
Spain's Robin Le Normand: He sets the tone - at least at the piano. Against France, the country where Robin Aime Robert Le Normand is listed on the Spanish team's website, he is missing, yellow-carded. The now 27-year-old defender, born in Pabu, a village in Brittany, made one professional appearance for Stade Brest before joining Real Sociedad in the summer of 2016.
He has played 16 times for Spain, making his debut for La Roja just over a year ago in June 2023. Before that, he successfully obtained Spanish citizenship, having unsuccessfully waited for a call-up to the Tricolore team.
Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte: He also switched early from France to Spain. In 2010, the now 30-year-old defender went from Aviron Bayonnais to Athletic Bilbao's U19 team. He played there until 2018, with a one-year interruption. From Bilbao, Laporte moved to Manchester City. Since the summer of the previous year, he has been playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia and thus the club of Portugal's superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
Defender Laporte, born in the southwestern French town of Agen, went through the French junior teams. He played for the U17, U18, U19, and U21 teams. However, Laporte's Spanish nationality was recognized before the last EM. After his debut in a Euro preparation match in June 2021, he was in the squad for the tournament. Laporte had played 33 matches for Spain before the encounter with his birth country.
In the European Football Championship 2024, Spain and France are set to face each other in the semifinals, showcasing the strong connection between the two nations in the world of soccer. Antoine Griezmann, a French national team player, was born in France but moved to Spain at a young age to join Real Sociedad's youth academy, further emphasizing the shared soccer history between these neighboring countries.
