Morocco have not given up hope of persuading Real Madrid midfielder Thiago Pitarch to choose them internationally, with head coach Mohamed Ouahbi reportedly meeting the teenager and his family during a recent visit to Spain.
Pitarch, 19, has represented Spain at youth level and had appeared to be leaning towards continuing his international career with the country of his birth. However, the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) is understood to regard his case as unresolved, with Ouahbi making a personal approach in an effort to keep the door open.
According to Moroccan newspaper Assabah, in a report relayed by Le360, Ouahbi travelled to Spain to meet Pitarch and his family. He was accompanied by Rabie Takassa, the Morocco federation’s scout based in Spain.
The meeting was reportedly part of a wider European tour by Ouahbi, who also visited Germany, the Netherlands and France to monitor a number of young players who could become future options for the Atlas Lions.
If the meeting took place as reported, it would underline the fact that Morocco still considers Pitarch a realistic target, despite recent comments suggesting Spain had taken the lead in the battle for his allegiance.
In March, Spain manager Luis de la Fuente said publicly that the midfielder, who was born in Fuenlabrada, wanted to play for Spain.
“The information is that Thiago wants to play for Spain, and that is excellent news,” De la Fuente said. He indicated that the plan was for Pitarch to continue progressing through Spain’s youth teams, before potentially moving up to the under-21 side and eventually the senior team.
Ouahbi adopted a more cautious stance at the time, choosing not to apply public pressure to the player.
“He is very young and everything has happened very quickly. He prefers to focus on his club […] We have to give young players time,” Ouahbi said.
Several months on, the Morocco coach appears ready to make a final attempt to change the situation. His approach also appears to highlight a difference in the way he deals with players eligible to represent more than one country.
Walid Regragui, Ouahbi’s predecessor, regularly stressed that dual-nationality players needed to have a strong personal desire to represent Morocco. Ouahbi, by contrast, appears willing to invest more time in individual cases and to meet players and their families in person.
That approach has already been visible during his European tour, where he has been following several young prospects who could be considered for the Moroccan national team in the future.
The challenge remains significant in Pitarch’s case. Spain has an advantage because the player is already part of its youth international system, while De la Fuente has publicly expressed confidence in his desire to represent the country.
Nevertheless, Pitarch has not definitively secured his senior international future with Spain. Until that happens, Ouahbi appears determined to leave one final route open for the Real Madrid prospect to choose Morocco.
