Marc Cucurella (27) has spoken publicly about his £52 million switch from Chelsea to Real Madrid, telling reporters from Spain’s World Cup base in Chattanooga, Tennessee that the deal was agreed in roughly a day and a half and that he had no doubts as soon as the decision got here by way of. The Guardian revealed the total interview on Thursday, with Cucurella addressing each the mechanics of the transfer and the backlash from Barcelona supporters.
The price, reported by Football Espana as £47.5 million mounted plus £4.3 million in add-ons, ties him to Los Blancos on a six-year contract operating into the early 2030s. The settlement was finalised whereas Cucurella remained on worldwide obligation, a logistical quirk that, by his personal account, suited everybody concerned.
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Cucurella explains his Real Madrid choice
Asked to explain how the switch unfolded, Cucurella was unambiguous concerning the pace and the absence of any inner battle. “It was all very fast,” he stated. “I got a phone call one morning. My people told me the two clubs had the terms mostly agreed and that I had to decide if I wanted to go there. I had no doubts. It is a big step for me, very important in my career. It all happened in roughly a day and a half.”
That framing is notable as a result of it removes any sense of a drawn-out saga – which, on condition that he had beforehand insisted he was glad at Chelsea, is clearly the impression Cucurella desires to go away. The pace additionally displays the broader sample of this window: Madrid shifting rapidly and decisively as soon as a goal is recognized, with the bilateral negotiation successfully concluded earlier than it turned public data.
The position of José Mourinho was a thread Cucurella returned to greater than as soon as. “Having a manager like Mourinho calling you and saying he can’t wait to work with you gives you a lot of confidence,” he stated. “What I liked a lot is that he remembered a lot of things from the game I played against him for Chelsea against Benfica in the Champions League. He insisted that he believes I can add a lot to the team and the dressing room.” A supervisor doing his homework on a selected match to make a private case is a recruitment tactic, however it’s also a pointed sign of intent – and Cucurella acquired it as one.
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Cucurella sends message to Barcelona followers
The extra delicate passage of the interview involved his La Masia roots. Cucurella joined Barcelona’s academy at 14, made only one senior look for the membership, and rebuilt his profession elsewhere – at Getafe, Brighton, after which Chelsea – earlier than touchdown on the membership Barcelona regard as their main rival. He acknowledged the response with out overstating it. “I have to respect everyone’s opinions. I am very thankful for everything I experienced in my career and what I learnt in La Masia. But there’s different chapters in life and I thought this was the right step for me. When Madrid comes for you, it is very difficult to say no.”
What Cucurella stopped wanting saying is equally telling. He supplied no apology, made no try to border the transfer as something aside from a simple profession choice, and declined to interact with the emotional weight Barça supporters would possibly connect to it. The line about completely different chapters in life is doing appreciable diplomatic work. He additionally famous that his spouse Claudia and her household are Madrid supporters – a private element that reframes the transfer from betrayal to homecoming, not less than inside his personal family.
What Cucurella’s arrival means for Real Madrid
Madrid’s signing of Cucurella is per the method Mourinho has taken since arriving: high-profile additions with instant beginning credentials somewhat than developmental acquisitions. The left-back place has been an space of squad dialogue on the Bernabéu, and the context of Antonio Rüdiger’s recent contract extension suggests Madrid are actively consolidating their defensive core forward of subsequent season somewhat than leaving positions open. Cucurella arrives with 4 Premier League seasons behind him and a Spain worldwide profile that requires no adjustment interval at worldwide degree.
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For Chelsea, the departure is one other occasion of shedding a reliable starter – somebody who had turn into a fixture somewhat than a fringe choice. The £52 million return is substantial, however changing a left-back of Cucurella’s consistency mid-window presents its personal problems.
What subsequent for Cucurella at Real Madrid
Cucurella will stay with Spain all through their World Cup marketing campaign earlier than returning to Madrid for pre-season integration. The subsequent significant growth can be Mourinho’s first aggressive choice, which can affirm the place the Catalan suits throughout the defensive construction and the way rapidly he displaces any present choices at left-back.