A star defender for Chelsea and the Spanish national team, Marc Cucurella shared key moments of his career in an interview with the media. He spoke about the glorious victory at Euro 2024, the low points of his career, the trials of injuries and how he got on with different coaches.
Returning from the win and changes in the dressing room
Q: When you returned to Chelsea after beating England in the Euro 2024 final, did it feel like your teammates treated you differently?
Cucurella: The victory meant a lot to me and was not easy to come by. Maybe my teammates have a little more respect for me, but I don’t take it too seriously (laughs). I often jokingly remind them, “I’m the European Champion!” This feeling of victory makes me more ambitious.
Fond memories of the Euros
Q: What are some of your special memories of this Europa League?
Cucurella: I saw a lot of great match highlights on TikTok and often clicked back to watch them. This Euro was probably one of the best experiences of my life. I remember when we scored the second goal (Oyarzábal broke through in the 86th minute), I was thinking to myself, “Will we look too embarrassed if our opponents score?” But we did well to control the tempo of the game. It wasn’t until we got back to Madrid that I really realized that we had made history.
The challenge of coming back from injury
In March 2024, Cucurella had just recovered from an injury and had barely played any minutes, but Spain boss Luis de la Fuente still called him up for friendlies against Colombia and Brazil.
Q: How did you feel at the time?
Cucurella: It felt like a long time had passed, it was a very difficult time for me. I’ve never experienced a long absence before and I’ve never been away from the pitch for that long. But looking back, this injury instead made me grow a lot.
Maybe I owe everything I’ve achieved now to that time. I learned how to persevere, and even if I didn’t want to go to the gym sometimes, I would still force myself to train. It’s those little moments of perseverance that ultimately made me stronger.
From Barcelona’s loss to Haval’s growth
Q: Barcelona and Real Madrid’s youth players usually grow up in a privileged environment. When did you first feel the frustration of your career?
Cucurella: It would have to be when I was in Barcelona’s B team and had a pre-season tournament with the first team. I realized that the coach didn’t trust me much and often put me on the bench. I thought I was going to stay but was eventually told I had to leave. I was so sad when I got home and thought, “I really don’t want to leave.” That feeling of loneliness was really hard.
Eventually, before the summer transfer window closed in 2018, I was loaned out to Haval.
Q: How did you feel about the transfer?
Cucurella: They called me and asked me if I wanted to go to Hvar. I said yes almost immediately, without even thinking much about it. I said to myself, “I’m going to go there and try a whole new life.” I didn’t get much of a chance to play in the first few weeks, but I still enjoyed it and went to training every day with a positive mindset.
Tactical adaptation at Hvar
Q: Did Mendilibar’s (Haval manager) tactics help you?
Cucurella: Of course. It’s great to work with Mendilibar, we don’t need a lot of words to understand each other. I was a bit lost after leaving Barcelona, but I learned a lot of new things at Haval.
At Barcelona, the tactical system is very clear, and all the tactics are centered around ball control. But at Haval or Getafe, the team is more inclined to fast counter-attacks and fighting for the second ball. Learning how to play without the ball and how to press with high intensity are completely different from Barcelona’s training methods. But it’s these experiences that have made me more well-rounded.
Adapting to different tactical systems has helped me in the Premier League. The Premier League is a very physical and competitive league and these experiences have helped me adapt to the pace of the Premier League more quickly.
De La Fuente’s influence on me
Q: How much of an influence did De La Fuente have on you when he coached Spain U21?
Cucurella: Like Mendilibar, we didn’t speak often, but we were always in touch. I knew that he liked to create a united team, where every player not only worked together on the field but also got along off it.
When he called me up for the game against Brazil, I did well. Because I know he knows what I can do, and even if I don’t start, or even if I’m just a rotational player, I can still contribute to the team. I’m an optimistic person, I always give my best in training and bring positive energy to my teammates.
In a big competition like the Europa League, the team needs to stay together for a long time and the team atmosphere is very important. I think it’s this that has earned me a place in the team.
Getting along with the coach
Q: You don’t communicate much with Mendilibar and De La Fuente, so do you communicate much with other coaches?
Cucurella: To be honest, the more I talk to coaches, the worse things tend to get. If there is not much communication, it means that everything is going well and I can understand what the coach wants and perform what he wants.
For example, when I was at Brighton, I started almost every game but never talked too much to the manager Graham Potter. Then when he went to coach Chelsea, he talked to me a lot instead, and that’s when I realized that things might not be going too well (laughs).
Generally speaking, if a coach seeks you out into his office to communicate frequently, it could mean that he has questions about you and might even be unhappy with your performance. For me, the less interaction with the coach, the better.
Conclusion
Cucurella’s career has seen many ups and downs, from his loss at Barcelona, to his growth at Eval, to his current standing with Chelsea and the Spanish national team. He has proved that no matter what his circumstances are, he can eventually reap his own success if he keeps working hard and learning.
