During a long interview given to L'Équipe before his Lorient team's match against Strasbourg this Sunday, Tiémoué Bakayoko, the 29-year-old French international midfielder, did not close the door to a possible move under the jersey of Côte d'Ivoire, his country of origin.
On March 28, 2017 while playing in Monaco, Bakayoko, born in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, played the second half of the friendly match between France and Spain (0-2) at the Stade de France.
He then replaced Adrien Rabiot.
But it was a friendly match and international regulations prohibit changing selection only if you have played an official match with the A team. Which is not the case for Lorient.
“When you have dual nationality, it’s super difficult to choose”
But Bakayoko, more than the regulations, raises the question of the choice of heart, admitting in passing a great regret in Blue.
" The french team ?
It’s mixed, he told L’Équipe.
I'm not completely international, because I only have a selection.
At Chelsea (Editor's note, where he played during the 2017-2018 season), I was disappointed not to return there.
France is world champion and there is a regret of not having been.
I believed in it, but there are so many quality players in France.
You wait, you work and you accept.
When I am called up, I am closer to Ivory Coast, even if the Blues remain the ultimate dream.
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Bakayoko also recalls how much he hesitated before opting sportingly for France.
“When you have dual nationality, you don’t realize how super difficult it is to choose,” he continues.
Between the moment Didier Deschamps called me and the moment I said yes, I didn't eat for two days, I had a lump in my stomach.
In a way, if I were to play for Ivory Coast now, I would feel like I was disowning myself.
But I've evolved a little, I'm not saying no, I'm not saying yes..." it may seem like a slight to the selection which has just won the last African Cup of Nations.