Headline: Marc Cucurella Reflects on Life at Real Madrid and Discusses Teammates in Recent Interview
After experiencing a challenging start at Real Madrid, Marc Cucurella has found his stride and delivered impressive performances since the last international break.
In the past month, Cucurella has been pivotal in all of Los Blancos’ matches, consistently demonstrating his reliability in defense, even if he hasn’t been the focal point of attention.
His standout performance came during the high-stakes match against Barcelona, where he effectively contained Lamine Yamal. Currently, he is fulfilling his duties with the Spanish national team.
Cucurella’s Interview
During a media session while on national duty, Cucurella shared insights about his experience as a Real Madrid player and more. When asked about his favorite teammate, he highlighted a lesser-known player.
“Best Real Madrid player? I can tell you the typical names – Mbappé, Bellingham, or Courtois, but I will tell you someone that goes under the radar: Arda Guler.”
“When Arda plays, we play differently. I love him,” he added.
Cucurella emphasized that Real Madrid is currently the best team in the world.
“In my opinion, we are currently the best team in Europe.”
Cucurella Discusses Recent Matches
The defender reflected on the recent El Clasico, where he kept Lamine Yamal under wraps and whether he spoke to his counterpart post-match.
“Did I talk to Lamine Yamal after El Clásico? No. I don’t have to say anything. We won, and I played a good game. That’s it.”
“I don’t like to talk or brag; I like to stay quiet and do my job. And honestly, I had a good game,” he mentioned.
He also discussed the recent game against Valencia and the atmosphere surrounding Pablo Maffeo.
“Pablo Maffeo? We already knew how he is before the match. I’m also a bit like him. He’s really intense, a madman. But we talked it out and we’re fine.”
“During the match, he’s unbearable and hateful, but it ends when the match is over. I’m also like this, not to that extent, but the same style,” he added.
On Vinicius Jr.
When asked about the team’s morale with Vinicius Jr. currently sidelined and struggling for form, Cucurella offered a supportive perspective.
“Does the team see Vini Jr. being sad? Honestly, he seems good in the dressing room, he is happy.”
“But, a player likes to play well and in his case, playing well is scoring goals in every match or getting assists, and now he isn’t finding his best version,” he explained.
Expressing his support, Cucurella highlighted Vinicius’ quality.
Cucurella voiced his support for Vinicius Jr. (Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images)
“You also have to understand him. When a player has been playing at a spectacular level for 5 years, being one of the best in the world, you can understand that he’ll have a bad run; he’s a normal person in the end.”
“In my case, my first 6 months at Chelsea were a disaster. What’s good is that I see him training hard and giving it his all; that’s what matters,” he shared, drawing from personal experiences.
He concluded by highlighting how crucial it would be for Vinicius to return to form.
“If Vini Jr. returns to his prime, we will be an unstoppable team.”
On Yan Diomande
Cucurella has praised Yan Diomande. (Photo by Milos Bicanski/Getty Images)
When asked if Yan Diomande assists him more defensively than Vinicius, Cucurella clarified the situation.
“Diomandé helps me more than Vini Jr. in defence? No, it’s not that Diomandé helps me more; it’s that it gets highlighted more.”
“Diomande tracks back and it’s all over the news. Vini makes 3 trackbacks, but doesn’t in 1 instance, and that is the one that will get highlighted,” he explained.
Discussing the media’s scrutiny of the Brazilian forward, Cucurella stated,
“If Vini scored 3 goals per match, no one would say anything to him. The most important thing is that he gets back to his best because if he’s in his prime, we will have a sensational team.”
He also recounted a humorous anecdote involving José Mourinho and a tattoo pledge related to his World Cup win.
“José Mourinho sent me an edited picture of my chest with his face tattooed on it.”
“The real José Mourinho is very different from the public perception of Mourinho, in a good way,” he added.
“He’s very close to us; he’s a very good person, he likes to talk to us and joke around with us. But of course, he’s the boss, and we’ll do whatever he says.”
