Manager Vicente del Bosque has revealed that Spain attempted to nationalise Lionel Messi when he was youngster.
The Argentine was brought to Europe when he was just 13 years old, and Del Bosque has now admitted that they tried to make him a Spanish citizen back in the day.
"There was an attempt to do it (nationalise him), but he decided to stick with the country of his birth; he remained steadfast," he told The Guardian.
"That's a phenomenon that we cannot turn our back on or pretend doesn't exist. We don't know where the next Messi or the next Ronaldo is going to come from – it could be one of those who arrives here from another country looking to make a better life."
The Spanish manager was also asked how exactly he would describe Spain's playing model and if the term "tiki-taka" annoyed him.
"It's a simplification," he answered.
"If you had to put a label on Spain, you wouldn't call us defensive; if you say 'tiki-taka', it implies having the ball, playing attacking football, but we've been very defensive too.
"We've been champions scoring very few and conceding very few, and we're still in that dynamic."
'Messi Has It Easier Than Maradona'
Spain take on England in an international friendly at the Estadio Jose Rico Perez on Friday night.
Do you think Messi would have been an ever better player if he played for Spain instead of Argentina? Have your say in the comments section below.
