Marc Cucurella mocks Gary Neville after ITV pundit claimed Spain couldn’t win Euros with Chelsea left-back
Marc Cucurella has had the final snicker after Gary Neville questioned whether or not Spain might win Euro 2024 with the left-back on the pitch.
Neville made the remark earlier within the match whereas working as a pundit for ITV, when he instructed Cucurella was one of many the explanation why he felt Spain couldn’t win the Euros.
That turned out to be vast of the mark: Cucurella was Spain’s first-choice left-back for the match regardless of enduring a tough season with Chelsea, and he was one of many Spanish staff’s finest gamers, even offering the help for Mikel Oyarzabal’s profitable purpose in opposition to England within the ultimate.
Afterwards, Cucurella posted Neville’s quote on Instagram alongside the caption: “We went all the way Gary. Thanks for your support,” accompanied by loveheart, trophy and Spanish flag emojies.
Neville had provided some reward of the 25-year-old defender, who moved from Brighton to Chelsea in an eye-watering £62m switch two summers in the past, however mentioned he was a motive to doubt Spain’s trophy problem.
“He’s not been convincing at Chelsea,” Neville mentioned in the course of the group stage. “He’s performed just a few video games in the direction of the top of the season. He’s aggressive, he’s tenacious, he’s a busy little full again [but] the worth tag nonetheless astounds everybody to today.
“The Spanish defence, it’s received a whole lot of expertise now however there’s one thing simply lacking from Spain that makes you are feeling like they’re not going to go all the best way. I’ve to say that him being at left-back is an efficient instance of why we expect that.”
Cucurella was one of many brightest lights of Spain’s marketing campaign and credited his performances to his diligent work ethic throughout an underwhelming spell at membership facet Chelsea.
A staff filled with underneath the radar gamers with uplifting tales that floor out seven wins in seven matches taking part in a principally attacking recreation at a match by which a lot of the huge favourites left underneath criticism for underwhelming performances.
Spain’s two opening wins enabled coach Luis de la Fuente to make 10 adjustments for the ultimate group recreation in opposition to Albania and the stand-ins didn’t miss a beat as they carved out a 1-0 win.
They had the proper chief in coach Luis de la Fuente, the person who was mocked on social media as “Luis de la Who?” after his appointment final yr, being little identified after toiling away on the nation’s academy stage for over a decade.
He had the prospect to work with over half of the gamers he took to Germany, with names like Rodri, Olmo, Merino, Oyarzabal and Fabian, who had performed huge roles underneath his calm steerage within the Under-19 and Under-21 European Championship in 2015 and 2019 respectively, now repeating that success within the senior squad.
“In life and in sport, when you give your best effort and sacrifice yourself, you get the reward from everything you gave up to get there,” Rodri instructed Spain’s TVE.
“We have made historical past. We have crushed 4 world champions (Italy, Germany, France and England) one after the opposite, the toughest approach to win it. It speaks to the mentality of the staff.
“This is one thing that was cultivated, many people had been Under-19, Under-21 champions collectively. The coach knew what he was doing. The coach knew what he was doing!”
Additional reporting by Reuters
