European Championship semi-final: Duel with French Spaniards and Spanish French

Spain against France is also a duel between two neighbouring countries. The border between the two nations, which will face each other today (9 p.m./ZDF and Magenta TV) in the semi-finals of the European Football Championship in Munich, is over 600 kilometres long.

The Spanish squad includes two players who were born in France but saw no chance in the Équipe Tricolore. The French team includes a duo who either only played in Spain or played for many years – but never for a French professional team.

France’s Antoine Griezmann

He says of himself: “I think in French, but I get angry in Spanish.” The 134-time international player of the Grande Nation was born in Mâcon, not far from Lyon. But at the age of 14, Griezmann moved to Spain to join the youth team of Real Sociedad in San Sebastián. At first he lived with the scout who had also brought him in. In the summer of 2014, Griezmann moved to Atlético Madrid, where he still plays today – interrupted by an interlude at FC Barcelona.

Against his adopted homeland, the 33-year-old 2018 world champion is in danger of being relegated to the reserve bench after his disappointing performances so far. “The coach had to make decisions and everything has gone well so far. Let’s hope it continues like this,” said team-mate Adrien Rabiot. “We know exactly what Antoine is capable of. We have expectations when it comes to Antoine.”

France’s Théo Hernandez

He and his brother Lucas, who also once played for FC Bayern, wanted to play for Spain. “Spain gave me everything,” Lucas once said. “I speak Spanish better than French.” After ten years there, Spanish citizenship was no problem.

Lucas is not in the French squad for the European Championships because he tore his cruciate ligament in May while playing for Paris Saint-Germain against Borussia Dortmund. Théo is there. They speak to each other every day. The match against Spain is also special for them, and according to coach Didier Deschamps, Lucas wants to come to Munich.

Théo Hernandez, born in Marseille, played for Atlético Madrid’s youth team from the age of nine. Other stops: Alaves, Real Sociedad and Real Madrid. Since the summer of 2019, Théo Hernandez has played for AC Milan. He has never played in the French Ligue 1.

Spain’s Robin Le Normand

He sets the tone – at least on the piano. He will miss the match against France, the country in which Robin Aime Robert Le Normand, as he is listed on the Spanish team’s homepage, is suspended for yellow cards. The now 27-year-old defender, born in Pabu, a village in Brittany, played one professional game for Stade Brest before moving to Real Sociedad in Spain in the summer of 2016.

The amateur pianist has played for Spain 16 times so far, making his debut in La Roja just over a year ago in June 2023. He had previously successfully acquired Spanish citizenship after waiting in vain for a call-up to the Équipe Tricolore.

Spain’s Aymeric Laporte

He also moved from France to Spain at an early age. It was 2010 when the now 30-year-old defender from Aviron Bayonnais joined Athletic Bilbao’s U19 team. With a one-year break, he played for Bilbao until 2018. From there, Laporte moved to Manchester City. Since last summer, he has been playing in Saudi Arabia for Al-Nassr, the club of Portugal’s superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Defender Laporte, born in Agen in the south of France, went through the French junior teams, playing for the U17, U18, U19 and U21 teams. Before the last European Championship, however, Laporte’s Spanish citizenship was recognized. After his debut in June 2021 in one of the European Championship preparation games, he was a seed for the final tournament. Laporte made 33 appearances for Spain before the duel with his birth country.