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Aymeric Laporte has hit back at critics who argued his move to Saudi Arabia should have disqualified him from Spain’s Euro 2024-winning squad.
The defender started six of Spain’s seven games in Germany and played every minute of the 2-1 win over England in the final.
Laporte, 30, left Manchester City last summer after seven trophy-laden seasons to join Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr for £23.5million.
Critics in Spain wanted to see him banned from the national team after his move to a less prestigious league, but he has now had the final say.
‘The rest is history,’ he wrote On X, in a cold-blooded rejection of his negativity, they posted screenshots of pre-tournament criticism from Spanish media.
Aymeric Laporte has responded to critics who slammed the decision to take him to Euro 2024
The former Manchester City star started six games and played the fourth-most minutes for them.
Critics had expressed concerns about Laporte playing in Saudi Arabia, as well as his fitness.
According to Marca, there were concerns about Laporte’s physical condition and the quality of the league he would play in during the 2023-24 season.
Some observers have argued that playing in the Saudi Pro League, where the intensity of the match is lower than in the Premier League, has benefited players like N’Golo Kante.
Laporte, who became a Spanish citizen in 2021 after never being capped by his native France, will feel vindicated after lifting his first international trophy and beating his country of birth in the semi-finals.
He posted three screenshots of negative reports about him in the Spanish media.
‘Laporte’s connection with Spain: he disappeared from the elite by going to Saudi Arabia and is now at the Euros’, headlines El Confidencial.
‘Laporte’s ostentatious evasion,’ wrote columnist Alfredo Relano.
Meanwhile, Spanish commentator Joaquín Maroto had stated on the SER radio station: “I saw Laporte play and I told the manager: he is not in the minimum form to play in the Euros. He may be fit enough to play in Saudi Arabia, but not enough to play in the Euros.”
He added that Laporte was “worse” than 17-year-old Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi, who was dropped from Spain’s provisional squad for Euro 2024.
The defender left Manchester City last summer to join Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr.
At just 30, he left City after seven seasons for £23.5m in a shock transfer last August.
Coach Luis de la Fuente trusted Laporte and he ended up being the fourth player with the most minutes (525) of all his stars in the Eurocup.
He missed Spain’s opening game against Croatia but started the rest of the matches, only coming on at half-time against Albania in their final group game, when they were leading 1-0.
La Roja have conceded four goals in six games with the former Manchester City star on the pitch and he has formed a solid partnership with Robin Le Normand.
