Call the Laporta. French defender Aymeric Laporte will play this Tuesday evening in the semi-final of Euro 2021, against Italy, at 9 p.m. Long shunned in Blues by Deschamps, who selected him but never played him for a minute in A, Aymeric Laporte obtained Spanish nationality last May, a few days before being finally selected with La Roja by Luis Enrique . He has had a special relationship with Spain since he was a teenager.
He was however born in Agen, in Lot-et-Garonne, in 1994, where he started football at the age of 5-6 years. “He did all his pre-training here at Sporting Union Agen Football until the age of 15. Its objective was to integrate hope centers in the region, such as that of Talence, or training centers. He was in sport studies class at the college of Miramont and participated in all the departmental and regional selections. But unfortunately he was not selected either in the hope pole or in a training center, ”explains Johan Jourdan, vice-president of SU Agen Football for three years, who has already met Aymeric Laporte.
“He sailed in a very Hispanic universe”
The young Aymeric does not admit defeat, and especially his father, Lionel, a former rugby player, pushes him. “The majority give up in these cases, but not them. His father, who has a strong personality, did not let go and there was this opportunity with Aviron Bayonnais, ”says Johan Jourdan. A club which “sells” a partnership with L’Athlétic Bilbao to strong local potentials.
“To go to Athletic you must have a Basque parent or have done your pre-training in a Basque club. I believe Aymeric has a Basque grandfather, and we are a Basque club, so he qualified. He shuttled between Bilbao, where he trained, and Bayonne, where he played matches with us on weekends, ”recalls Jean-Pierre Ménard, vice-president of Aviron Bayonnais.
In addition to learning his trade as a footballer, he also becomes bilingual. “I met him in 2016 in Bilbao where we had a drink with him. He had been there maybe four or five years and I was really impressed because he spoke with a little Spanish accent. His attachment to Spain is not something superficial, he sailed for almost 10 years in a very Hispanic universe, ”explains Johan Jourdan.
“It’s hard for him, he remains Franças above all”
He finally exploded on the other side of the Pyrenees with a certain Marcelo Bielsa, who made him go up to the first team, never to bring him down. Before a record transfer for a defender in the summer of 2018: direction Manchester City for 65 million euros. The rest is known. Despite a new status under Pep Guardiola, and a selection wagon in the young French team, from 2011 to 2016, sometimes with the captain’s armband, Aymeric Laporte did not win in the A.
He was selected only three times with Didier Deschamps, for no minute played. “He tried, but we saw that he had very few chances with the French selection. Luis Enrique made the forcing and the decision he made is a new career choice. But it’s hard for him, he remains French above all, even if he has a special relationship with Spain where he has many friends, ”recalls Jean-Pierre Ménard. For the success that we know, even if his little defensive ball against Switzerland could have changed everything in the comments that escort a generally satisfactory Euro, before the semi-final against Italy.