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Scottish Sun
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Marc Cucurella was so unpopular at Barcelona his team-mates couldn't even look at him – now he's undroppable at Chelsea
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MARC CUCURELLA has faced rejection many times in his career but he just doesn't give up. When he signed from Espanyol nobody at Barcelona would talk to him for weeks because he celebrated wildly after beating them in the Copa del Rey final. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Cucurella has had to overcome adversity but he's living his best life at Chelsea Credit: Getty 8 His start to life at Chelsea was tough but he's overcome his problems Credit: X formerly Twitter / @primevideosport 8 Cucurella was such a massive hit at Brighton when he first arrived in England Credit: AFP He'd come to training but would never talk to anyone and mostly sat in the changing room by himself. In an exclusive interview, his old team-mate at Barcelona, Carles Alena, told SunSport: 'He took his shirt off, went wild and the crazy thing is, a month later, he had signed for Barcelona so you can imagine how we felt. 'When he came to Barca for preseason, I remember I couldn't even look at him. Neither could many of my team-mates and he didn't want to look at us either. 'He was kind of embarrassed and I remember those first few days, he'd sit in the locker room without even making eye contact, like 'Damn, what have I done?'' But football has a unique way of joining people and it wasn't long before his new team-mates started to understand it was all done in the spirit of competitiveness. His second immediate challenge was to break into the first team, every player who comes through their La Masia academy dreaming of playing for Barcelona. If they don't, it can crush them - but Cucurella's story is proof that sometimes to win, you have to lose first. The first-team league debut never came. So in the summer of 2018 with the transfer window about to close, he got a phone call from Eibar sporting director Fran Garagarza. Join SUN CLUB for the Chelsea Files every Tuesday plus in-depth coverage and exclusives from Stamford Bridge He said: 'Hey, I know you want to play at Barcelona but maybe you can play at Eibar first, then you can show them what you're made of.' Most young players at La Masia would hesitate but Cucurella was hungry to play so he didn't dwell on it for long. Marc Cucurella wipes away tears as Chelsea star and Wag Claudia Rodriguez reveal emotional strain of son Mateo's autism He had come from Espanyol and after a difficult start won over everyone but he had a feeling it was time to go big time. Alena, who had become his best friend in the squad, revealed: 'He didn't want to play in Segunda B again. "Then the opportunity with Eibar came up, and I think he made the right choice because he had a coach there, Mendilibar, who really trusted him. "He became even more of a footballer there than he already was.' The meeting to leave Barcelona lasted just two hours, that was it. From that moment, his life and mindset changed. He went from waiting for opportunities to creating them himself. Sometimes that's all you need. He was one of the popular faces at La Masia, but there were others seen as more talented or higher in the pecking order - but still he was more aggressive, more driven. 8 Cucurella and his family are settled in London now Credit: instagram/@_claurodri 8 Barcelona agreed to a loan with Eibar, with a £2million option to buy, and a £4m buy-back clause. Everyone was satisfied. Eibar coach Jose Luis Mendilibar, who gave him his debut, told Marca: "He's a kid who's neither fast nor strong. 'In all the measurements we do with the many machines we have, he doesn't fit into any of them. 'You'd never sign him based on that but he's a footballer, very smart. He chooses well. That's Marc Cucurella." In the entire Spanish football pyramid, Eibar is one of the hardest places to play. They're a small team from a tiny village in the Basque region, known for playing physical, direct football, more like English teams than the typical Spanish style. 8 Cucurella had to leave Barcelona to become his own man Credit: Getty Images For someone from La Masia, that should've been a challenge but Cucurella excelled there. They say you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only option - so the new challenge tested him and he passed with flying colours. Eibar exercised the buy option and Barcelona bought him back for £4m, making Eibar a £2m profit in just one season. Getafe days Cucurella returned to Barcelona twice as tall, more confident and having proved himself by helping a small club punch above their weight. One team stood out among the clubs interested, Getafe. Ramon Planes, now sporting director at Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, knew the Spanish system well and had kept a close eye on Cucurella. He convinced Barcelona to do a similar deal as they had with Eibar but this time for £10m potentially rising to £18.5m. Cucurella spent two seasons at Getafe, playing their memorable Europa League campaign and helping the team cement their LaLiga status. 8 Left-back Marc Cucurella has come through the ranks in Barcelona's academy Credit: Getty Images Amankwaa Akurugu, the backup left-back to Cucurella at Getafe, exclusively tells SunSport: 'I was young and he came in with so much experience and energy. 'He was exemplary in the dressing room but it was on the pitch where his energy really showed, his pressing was relentless and his defensive work was solid. 'He never acted like he was from Barcelona and deserved respect. He was humble, cracked jokes with us and made everything easy. 'He easily could've acted like the boss after all he'd done well the previous season and was still on Barcelona's books but none of that shows how grounded he is.' Brighton Cucurella's stock kept rising, West Ham showed strong interest but David Moyes didn't think he would be a good fit for their style. That turned out to be the Irons' loss and Brighton's gain. From day one in East Sussex he was a hit. You can spend years sharpening your skills and then when success comes it often happens fast and feels inevitable. Cucurella was excited to be in the Premier League. Brighton was different from Espanyol, Barcelona, Eibar, or Getafe, but it was a good fit. He loved how Graham Potter saw the game. By the end of his first season, he'd been named both Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season. Brighton are renowned for elite recruitment but few players have delivered value on and off the pitch as quickly and effectively as the curly-haired Spaniard. Chelsea beat Manchester City to his signature Cucurella's breakout Premier League season caught the attention of Pep Guardiola, who reportedly reached a verbal agreement with the player. But once Brighton learned Chelsea were also in the race they raised the price and Manchester City couldn't match it. 8 Cucurella's hardwork on the pitch has won over fans Credit: Getty Chelsea paid a whopping £60m for him, but like at Barcelona, his start to life in West London was tough. Yet the lessons and experience of a tough beginning meant he stuck with it instead of jumping at the first opportunity to move. Manchester United lost two of their left backs and were looking for stop gap options. And Cucurella, struggling at Chelsea, could have jumped at the opportunity but he stuck and fought his way back from being surplus to requirement to being unstoppable this season. Everything about him has been exemplary at Chelsea, he's added to his game, scores goals and defends aggressively. Now when he doesn't play there is a feeling that something is missing. And he might just be adding a Conference League title to his resume this week.
The Irish Sun
27-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Marc Cucurella was so unpopular at Barcelona his team-mates couldn't even look at him – now he's undroppable at Chelsea
MARC CUCURELLA has faced rejection many times in his career but he just doesn't give up. When he signed from Espanyol nobody at Advertisement 8 Cucurella has had to overcome adversity but he's living his best life at Chelsea Credit: Getty 8 His start to life at Chelsea was tough but he's overcome his problems Credit: X formerly Twitter / @primevideosport 8 Cucurella was such a massive hit at Brighton when he first arrived in England Credit: AFP He'd come to training but would never talk to anyone and mostly sat in the changing room by himself. In an exclusive interview, his old team-mate at 'When he came to Barca for preseason, I remember I couldn't even look at him. Neither could many of my team-mates and he didn't want to look at us either. 'He was kind of embarrassed and I remember those first few days, he'd sit in the locker room without even making eye contact, like 'Damn, what have I done?'' Advertisement READ MORE IN CHELSEA But football has a unique way of joining people and it wasn't long before his new team-mates started to understand it was all done in the spirit of competitiveness. His second immediate challenge was to break into the first team, every player who comes through their La Masia academy dreaming of playing for Barcelona. If they don't, it can crush them - but Cucurella's story is proof that sometimes to win, you have to lose first. The first-team league debut never came. So in the summer of 2018 with the transfer window about to close, he got a phone call from Eibar sporting director Fran Garagarza. Advertisement Most read in Football Exclusive Latest Join SUN CLUB for the Chelsea Files every Tuesday plus in-depth coverage and exclusives from Stamford Bridge He said: 'Hey, I know you want to play at Barcelona but maybe you can play at Eibar first, then you can show them what you're made of.' Most young players at La Masia would hesitate but Cucurella was hungry to play so he didn't dwell on it for long. Marc Cucurella wipes away tears as Chelsea star and Wag Claudia Rodriguez reveal emotional strain of son Mateo's autism He had come from Advertisement Alena, who had become his best friend in the squad, revealed: 'He didn't want to play in Segunda B again. "Then the opportunity with Eibar came up, and I think he made the right choice because he had a coach there, Mendilibar, who really trusted him. "He became even more of a footballer there than he already was.' The meeting to leave Barcelona lasted just two hours, that was it. From that moment, his life and mindset changed. Advertisement He went from waiting for opportunities to creating them himself. Sometimes that's all you need. He was one of the popular faces at La Masia, but there were others seen as more talented or higher in the pecking order - but still he was more aggressive, more driven. 8 Cucurella and his family are settled in London now Credit: instagram/@_claurodri 8 Advertisement Barcelona agreed to a loan with Eibar, with a £2million option to buy, and a £4m buy-back clause. Everyone was satisfied. Eibar coach Jose Luis Mendilibar, who gave him his debut, told Marca: "He's a kid who's neither fast nor strong. 'In all the measurements we do with the many machines we have, he doesn't fit into any of them. 'You'd never sign him based on that but he's a footballer, very smart. He chooses well. That's " Advertisement In the entire Spanish football pyramid, Eibar is one of the hardest places to play. They're a small team from a tiny village in the Basque region, known for playing physical, direct football, more like English teams than the typical Spanish style. 8 Cucurella had to leave Barcelona to become his own man Credit: Getty Images For someone from La Masia, that should've been a challenge but Cucurella excelled there. Advertisement They say you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only option - so the new challenge tested him and he passed with flying colours. Eibar exercised the buy option and Barcelona bought him back for £4m, making Eibar a £2m profit in just one season. Getafe days Cucurella returned to Barcelona twice as tall, more confident and having proved himself by helping a small club punch above their weight. One team stood out among the clubs interested, Getafe. Advertisement Ramon Planes, now sporting director at Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia , knew the Spanish system well and had kept a close eye on Cucurella. He convinced Barcelona to do a similar deal as they had with Eibar but this time for £10m potentially rising to £18.5m. Cucurella spent two seasons at Getafe, playing their memorable Europa League campaign and helping the team cement their LaLiga status. 8 Left-back Marc Cucurella has come through the ranks in Barcelona's academy Credit: Getty Images Advertisement Amankwaa Akurugu, the backup left-back to Cucurella at Getafe, exclusively tells SunSport: 'I was young and he came in with so much experience and energy. 'He was exemplary in the dressing room but it was on the pitch where his energy really showed, his pressing was relentless and his defensive work was solid. 'He never acted like he was from Barcelona and deserved respect. He was humble, cracked jokes with us and made everything easy. 'He easily could've acted like the boss after all he'd done well the previous season and was still on Barcelona's books but none of that shows how grounded he is.' Advertisement Brighton Cucurella's stock kept rising, David Moyes didn't think he would be a good fit for their style. That turned out to be the Irons' loss and Brighton's gain. From day one in East Sussex he was a hit. You can spend years sharpening your skills and then when success comes it often happens fast and feels inevitable. Cucurella was excited to be in the Premier League. Brighton was different from Espanyol, Barcelona, Eibar, or Getafe, but it was a good fit. He loved how Advertisement By the end of his first season, he'd been named both Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season. Brighton are renowned for elite recruitment but few players have delivered value on and off the pitch as quickly and effectively as the curly-haired Spaniard. Chelsea beat Manchester City to his signature Cucurella's breakout Premier League season caught the attention of Pep Guardiola , who reportedly reached a verbal agreement with the player. But once Brighton learned Advertisement 8 Cucurella's hardwork on the pitch has won over fans Credit: Getty Chelsea paid a whopping £60m for him, but like at Barcelona, his start to life in West London was tough. Yet the lessons and experience of a tough beginning meant he stuck with it instead of jumping at the first opportunity to move. Advertisement And Cucurella, struggling at Chelsea, could have jumped at the opportunity but he stuck and fought his way back from being surplus to requirement to being unstoppable this season. Everything about him has been exemplary at Chelsea, he's added to his game, scores goals and defends aggressively. Now when he doesn't play there is a feeling that something is missing. And he might just be adding a Conference League title to his resume this week. Advertisement
The Irish Sun
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Chelsea 1 Man Utd 0: Blues take huge step towards Champions League as Cucurella header sees off United
MARC CUCURELLA was the hero as Chelsea kept their Champions League hopes alive and kicking. The Spaniard found space in the box and headed home following brilliant work from Reece James. 4 Marc Cucurella was the hero as he notched in Chelsea's winner Credit: Getty 4 The defender stole in at the back post to head in Reece James' cross Credit: Reuters 4 Harry Maguire found the net but his strike was ruled out for offside Credit: PA 4 It was another frustrating evening for Manchester United Credit: PA The It provided a lifeline for Chelsea, who knew they needed to win to stay in the top four after Harry Maguire thought he had put the visitors in front when he fired home with an emphatic finish, but it was chalked off for offside. In a first half of few chances James came closest to scoring, unleashing a swerving drive from outside the box that smacked off the post. READ MORE ON MAN UTD MatchDay Live Bruno Fernandes matches Cristiano Ronaldo record as he wins Man Utd award - but admits he DOESN'T want it
The Irish Sun
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘For a Spanish person it is strange' – Marc Cucurella reveals thing he doesn't like in Chelsea song about him
MARC CUCURELLA does have massive hair but he doesn't like lager . . . That simple message is unlikely to prompt a rethink of Advertisement 4 Marc Cucurella has transformed his Chelsea fortunes Credit: Getty 4 Boss Enzo Maresca has pushed Cucurella up into a more adventurous role Credit: Rex After a difficult start at Stamford Bridge, Blues fans have been loving his displays as they sing: 'He eats paella, he drinks Estrella, his hair's f***ing massive.' That chant in his honour — to the tune of La Bamba — has come from the stands more frequently in recent weeks. Grinning widely, Cucurella, 26, joked: 'I don't like Estrella, I don't like the beer, I don't like wine. I tried it but don't like it. Advertisement READ MORE IN FOOTBALL 'For a Spanish person it is strange — but it's the truth. I only like vodka.' There is no doubt that despite the jokes and even though he does not like wine, the dedicated pro has matured like a good vintage from any vineyard back home. A burglary at his home soon after joining Cucurella is quite short — a half pint if you like — but is full of character and spikiness when it comes to the Chelsea cause. Advertisement Most read in Football Exclusive 4 Cucurella says he knows his quality and 'my family believe in me' Credit: Rex BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK It is a huge turnaround from his first season when personal problems and the transition of leaving Brighton to become a key signing in an experimental, but expensive squad affected his confidence. The £55million transfer fee was questioned. His quality and durability doubted. Advertisement 'I played five minutes and it was my fault' - Chelsea star opens up on horror season after big money transfer But Cucurella is now a major weapon in the Chelsea armoury. He has scored six goals this season — impressive for a full-back. And all coming since mid-December when head coach He now slots in midfield when Chelsea are on the offensive and has scored twice as many goals as star forward Advertisement Ahead of hosting 'It was my first season and I tried to work hard, not say anything, work in silence. "I know my qualities, my family believe in me. So I try to work hard every day, show my qualities in training. 'And then when I have the opportunity, I try to do it in the games. Now my team-mates and staff give me confidence.' Advertisement 4 Cucurella is urging team-mates to use the awkward moment of forming a guard of honour for Liverpool as inspiration for future glory. Tradition demands the newly-crowned Premier League champions are afforded an official tribute from their next opponents after winning the title. It is a painful experience applauding a rival team but defender Cucurella hopes it can put fire in the bellies of the Chelsea players dreaming of one day being on the receiving end. Advertisement The Spaniard said: 'They deserve it because they have been there all season. If we need to do it, we do it. 'This is before the game. It is a process and is not important. 'Once the game starts we go for our objectives. We try to fight with everything and fight for the three points. 'I don't remember doing one before, this is the first time. Hopefully, we can have this as well in the next few years. Advertisement 'It's what we are fighting for and what we are trying to do.' We train every day for winning every game, for playing these important games... and we start to build something important. Chelsea players had to endure the embarrassment of forming a guard of honour at Stamford Bridge when Leicester won the title in 2016. Blues stars such as Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and Cesar Azpilicueta were forced to bow down before the Foxes on their home turf. Not easy for a bunch of players who were ruthless and serial winners — a mentality that current Blues boss Maresca is trying to reintroduce. Advertisement First step is bidding to win the Conference League — and Chelsea have one foot in the final after And Cucurella added: 'We train every day for winning every game, for playing these important games, reach finals, play for titles. 'This is our main objective and we start to build something important.' Liverpool have lost only two Premier League games on their march to a record-equalling 20th league title. Advertisement Chelsea are 22 points adrift of them, have suffered eight losses in the league and dropped points against lowly teams like relegated Ipswich. Maresca is sweating on the fitness of keeper Robert Sanchez while he has been monitoring forward Christopher Nkunku ahead of this afternoon's game.
The Sun
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘For a Spanish person it is strange' – Marc Cucurella reveals thing he doesn't like in Chelsea song about him
MARC CUCURELLA does have massive hair but he doesn't like lager . . . That simple message is unlikely to prompt a rethink of the chant being sung in praise of the Spanish defender having frizzy locks and a thirst for Estrella, who has become an acquired taste like the famous beer from his homeland. 4 4 After a difficult start at Stamford Bridge, Cucurella is regarded as a versatile left-back and goalscoring midfielder. Blues fans have been loving his displays as they sing: 'He eats paella, he drinks Estrella, his hair's f***ing massive.' That chant in his honour — to the tune of La Bamba — has come from the stands more frequently in recent weeks. Grinning widely, Cucurella, 26, joked: 'I don't like Estrella, I don't like the beer, I don't like wine. I tried it but don't like it. 'For a Spanish person it is strange — but it's the truth. I only like vodka.' There is no doubt that despite the jokes and even though he does not like wine, the dedicated pro has matured like a good vintage from any vineyard back home. A burglary at his home soon after joining Chelsea in August 2022 hampered attempts to settle in — but that is in the distant past now. Cucurella is quite short — a half pint if you like — but is full of character and spikiness when it comes to the Chelsea cause. 4 It is a huge turnaround from his first season when personal problems and the transition of leaving Brighton to become a key signing in an experimental, but expensive squad affected his confidence. The £55million transfer fee was questioned. His quality and durability doubted. But Cucurella is now a major weapon in the Chelsea armoury. He has scored six goals this season — impressive for a full-back. And all coming since mid-December when head coach Enzo Maresca began tinkering with his team and pushed Cucurella upfield. He now slots in midfield when Chelsea are on the offensive and has scored twice as many goals as star forward Cole Palmer since that point in time when the manager switched tactics. Ahead of hosting Liverpool on Sunday, Cucurella said: 'I feel very proud because when I joined it was tough. 'It was my first season and I tried to work hard, not say anything, work in silence. "I know my qualities, my family believe in me. So I try to work hard every day, show my qualities in training. 'And then when I have the opportunity, I try to do it in the games. Now my team-mates and staff give me confidence.' Cucurella is urging team-mates to use the awkward moment of forming a guard of honour for Liverpool as inspiration for future glory. Tradition demands the newly-crowned Premier League champions are afforded an official tribute from their next opponents after winning the title. It is a painful experience applauding a rival team but defender Cucurella hopes it can put fire in the bellies of the Chelsea players dreaming of one day being on the receiving end. The Spaniard said: 'They deserve it because they have been there all season. If we need to do it, we do it. 'This is before the game. It is a process and is not important. 'Once the game starts we go for our objectives. We try to fight with everything and fight for the three points. 'I don't remember doing one before, this is the first time. Hopefully, we can have this as well in the next few years. 'It's what we are fighting for and what we are trying to do.' We train every day for winning every game, for playing these important games... and we start to build something important. Chelsea players had to endure the embarrassment of forming a guard of honour at Stamford Bridge when Leicester won the title in 2016. Blues stars such as Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and Cesar Azpilicueta were forced to bow down before the Foxes on their home turf. Not easy for a bunch of players who were ruthless and serial winners — a mentality that current Blues boss Maresca is trying to reintroduce. First step is bidding to win the Conference League — and Chelsea have one foot in the final after trouncing hopeless Swedes Djurgardens 4-1 on Thursday in their semi-final first leg. And Cucurella added: 'We train every day for winning every game, for playing these important games, reach finals, play for titles. 'This is our main objective and we start to build something important.' Liverpool have lost only two Premier League games on their march to a record-equalling 20th league title. Chelsea are 22 points adrift of them, have suffered eight losses in the league and dropped points against lowly teams like relegated Ipswich. Maresca is sweating on the fitness of keeper Robert Sanchez while he has been monitoring forward Christopher Nkunku ahead of this afternoon's game.
