What consequences Brahim could face if he turns down a Spain call-up
Reports have suggested that Real Madrid attacker Brahim Diaz has chosen to play for Morocco rather than Spain in the face of the passivity of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and coach Luis de la Fuente when it comes to calling him up.
Morocco coach Walid Regragui was very interested in being able to count on the Spanish player of Moroccan descent because he is one of the most outstanding players in the attack of a team of the size of Real Madrid. All this in the face of the passage of time and the absence of Spain caps.
But, now, everything is focused on the possibility that Spain will call Brahim up this Friday for the next window of international matches coming up soon. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente's squad list is expected this Friday and Morocco coach Walid Regragui's list is expected on Thursday, and there could be a surprise call-up for both teams.
Tough sanction
If Spain call Brahim up and he refuses, having decided to play for Morocco, then there could be a harsh sanction for the Spanish-Moroccan attacker. Current Spanish sporting legislation stipulates a two-year ban from the federation for any player who refuses to play for Spain if called up.
It is not yet official, but Brahim has apparently chosen to play for Morocco in view of the RFEF's lack of interest in his services for the national team. If he finally plays for Morocco and refuses to play for Spain if he is called up, there could be a sanction, as stipulated in the law.
On Friday, Luis de la Fuente will give the list of called-up players for Spain for the friendlies against Colombia and Brazil and if the player does not come to the call-up if he is called up, the sanction could be up to two years without a federation licence to play.
In this case, the player and Real Madrid would be the big losers if the Federation tries to keep the player at all costs while Brahim's wish is to play for Morocco and not Spain.
If Spain calls Brahim, he would be obliged in principle to come to Spain's call, even if that is not his wish.
As reported by Mundo Deportivo, the regulations are very clear and have been in force since the Sports Law of 15 October 1990 and in the current law that came into force on 30 December 2022: "High-level sport and the representation of Spanish sport are configured as matters of public interest, due to the outstanding projection of Spain at international level that this entails and which is reflected not only at sporting level, but in many other sectors of the economy that favour the growth of the State". And article 22, referring to the duties of sportsmen and women, states that they must "attend the calls for the sports teams when they are duly summoned, under the terms and conditions established by regulation".
Although the current regulation is not as harsh as the previous one from 1990. In the previous text, article 47 specifically spoke of the "obligation of federated sportsmen and women to attend the summons of the national sports teams to participate in international competitions, or for the preparation of these".
For its part, the Spanish Football Federation in its Disciplinary Code contemplates in Article 65 the possibility of a footballer refusing to be called up by Spain: "footballers who, without justification, do not attend or abandon the call-ups of the national teams, meaning those referring to training sessions, training camps, or the actual holding of matches or competitions, will be sanctioned with a fine of 3,006 to 30,051 euros and with one or more of the following penalties:
- Disqualification from holding office in the federative organisation, or suspension or deprivation of licence, for a period of two to five years.
- Deprivation of licence, on a definitive basis; this type of sanction may only be imposed exceptionally in the case of a repeat offence of very serious infringements.
The player could therefore risk losing his federation licence to play football in Spain, for a period of two to five years even.
It is hoped that it will not come to this. Everything points to Brahim being called up by Morocco, because, as has been reported by various media, the player from Malaga would have chosen to play with the Atlas Lions due to the lack of opportunities for Spain, and the RFEF would no longer try in principle to "retain" the player to avoid a major conflict if his effective desire is to play for Morocco; especially considering that it had not called up the Real Madrid striker in recent times, something that was not understood from many sectors given the great quality of the player, demonstrated throughout this season in the Madrid ranks.
It is worth remembering that the player from Malaga, who had already played with Spain's youth teams, already made his debut as a senior Spanish international in 2021 in Leganés, Madrid, against Lithuania, and even scored a goal in the 4-0 win. A match with peculiarities because it was played by the players of the U21 national team after Sergio Busquets tested positive for COVID in the middle of the pandemic and the isolation of the rest of the players in the midst of the preparation for the European Championship.