Marc Cucurella, the Spanish left-back, has responded to the 'unnecessary' and 'disrespectful' comments made by Gary Neville ahead of Spain's Euro 2024 campaign against Croatia. The 25-year-old player has had an impressive tournament with Spain, despite facing criticism at club level with Chelsea.
Cucurella had a challenging season at Stamford Bridge, where he faced heavy criticism for his performances across a trophyless campaign. Despite this, he started all but one of Spain’s matches en route to Sunday’s final against England in the ongoing Euro 2024 tournament.
For many Premier League fans, his selection by Luis de la Fuente as part of the starting XI for Spain’s opening match was unexpected. Former England and Manchester United right-back Gary Neville even suggested that Cucurella's inclusion indicated something was ‘missing’ in the Spanish squad.
Manchester United legend, Gary Neville, said:
‘We didn’t think he’d play, He’s not been convincing at Chelsea, he’s played a few games towards the end of the season, he’s aggressive, he’s tenacious, he’s a busy little full-back.
‘That price tag [£55million] still, to be fair, astounds everybody I think to this day. The Spanish defence has got a lot of experience now but there’s something just missing from Spain that makes you feel like they’re going to go all the way. And I have to say, him [Cucurella] being at left-back probably is another example of why we think that.’
Cucurella has been star of the show
Despite these criticisms and doubts about his performance capabilities, Cucurella went on to impress during the match against Croatia. He played a crucial role in ensuring that Spain came away from Berlin with a clean sheet after producing an outstanding goal-saving block to deny Josip Stanisic in the second half.
This weekend, it is expected that De la Fuente will retain him in his starting XI when they face England in the Euro 2024 final. When asked about Neville’s scathing comments leading up to this match-up, Cucurella did not hold back.
Marc Cucurella, Spanish left-back, said:
‘In England it is very common, they [pundits] have been players and have had those experiences. I don’t think it is necessary to be disrespectful just to get views or for people to know him or continue to hear his name. These things happen, I think we have one last step left and hopefully we can lift that cup. Then it will be our turn to speak.’
Controversy during semi-final win over France
In addition to dealing with criticism from pundits like Neville, Cucurelle also faced boos and jeers during Spain's semi-final win over France held in Munich – leaving many viewers confused. It later emerged that German fans were expressing their anger after he escaped punishment over a handball shout in their quarter-final defeat.
Marc Cucurella added:
‘At first, yes, a little, because I didn’t really understand it. But I quickly saw that there were a lot of people in white and I understood why.
‘Spending money to be in the semi-finals of the European Championship and then to boo… they could have given the ticket to someone who would have enjoyed the match. The important thing is that we are in the final and the people who were angry or bored are watching it at home.’
Despite facing criticism and controversy, Marc Cucurella has proven his worth on the field during Spain's Euro 2024 campaign. His performances have been instrumental in leading his team to the final against England. As sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts watch with anticipation, it will be interesting to see how he continues to respond on and off the pitch.
