Marc Cucurella has responded to the ‘unnecessary’ and ‘disrespectful’ remarks made by Gary Neville before Spain’s Euro 2024 campaign began against Croatia.
The 25-year-old has performed outstandingly in the tournament, starting in all but one match as Spain advanced to the final against England.
- Spain ‘scared to death’ of one England star ahead of Euro 2024 final
- Enzo Maresca bans one Chelsea player from training with squad
- Ten Hag has made his feelings clear on Man Utd signing Xavi Simons this summer
This comes after a challenging season for Cucurella with Chelsea, where he faced significant criticism for his performances during a trophyless campaign at Stamford Bridge.
Cucurella’s inclusion in Spain’s starting XI for the opening match against Croatia in Group B surprised many Premier League fans.
Former England and Manchester United right-back Neville suggested that Cucurella’s selection indicated something was ‘missing’ in the Spanish squad.
‘We didn’t think he’d play,’ Neville commented in the ITV Sport studio before Spain’s 3-0 victory over Croatia.
‘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 impressed in the match against Croatia, contributing to a clean sheet by making a crucial goal-saving block against Josip Stanisic in the second half.
This weekend, Cucurella is anticipated to retain his spot in De la Fuente’s starting XI against England, and he addressed Neville’s harsh comments in the lead-up to the match.
‘In England it is very common,’ he told Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo.
‘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.’
During Spain’s semi-final victory over France in Munich, Cucurella was booed loudly, which puzzled many viewers.
It was later revealed that the boos came from German fans, upset because Cucurella had escaped punishment for a handball in their quarter-final defeat.
When asked if the booing surprised him, Cucurella responded: ‘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.’