Spain Coach Vicente Del Bosque Admits Attempts to Nationalise Lionel Messi

If the Spanish side of the past few years hasn't been frighteningly good enough for you, imagine them with Lionel Messi.

Well, if Vicente del Bosque and the Spanish FA had had their way, that might well have been a reality.

The Argentine moved to Catalonia to join Barcelona aged 13 and has gone on to win a hatful of personal and team accolades.

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But Del Bosque admitted in an interview with the Guardian's Sid Lowe that efforts were made to nationalise the four-time Ballon d'Or winner:

"

There was an attempt to do so [nationalise Messi] but he decided to stick with the country of his birth; he remained steadfast.

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.

"

[Guardian]