Marc Cucurella Has Made Gary Neville Look Silly With Euro 2024 Performances

At Euro 2024, like in every major international tournament, the one certainty is uncertainty. Despite this enduring reality, though, football’s perpetually disapproving observers fail to heed the lesson. Consequently, this dynamic has spawned numerous compelling redemption tales, with players seizing the global spotlight to quieten their critics and enhance their reputation.

One such example of this happening over this summer is when Gary Neville slammed Luis de la Fuente’s decision not to start Bayer Leverkusen’s Alejandro Grimaldo at left-back for Spain’s opening game against Croatia. The ex-Manchester United and England full-back felt Marc Cucurella was surplus to requirements in La Roja’s efforts to replicate their European Championship triumphs of 2008 and 2012.

Stunningly, since that ITV segment, the three-time champions have gone on to win each of their seven games in Germany, including a 2-1 win over England in the final to lift the Henri Delaunay Trophy in Berlin. And even more compellingly, it is on the left flank where the Spanish have excelled, forcing Neville to eat his own words as the Chelsea man assisted the tournament’s winning goal.

What Neville Said About Cucurella

He wasn’t convinced Spain could go all the way

Neville has been haunted by his harsh comments about Marc Cucurella, with the Blues’ full-back leaving the rash pundit red-faced after he felt the 25-year-old’s inclusion in De la Fuente’s side would hamper Spain’s chances. “We didn’t think he’d play,” Neville told ITV. He continued:

Contrary to popular belief, though, Cucurella was one of Chelsea’s diamonds in the rough last season as they narrowly qualified for European qualification, with a new inverted role adorning the Spaniard with a new lease of life under Mauricio Pochettino. Nevertheless, Neville added to his scathing predictions, saying: “That price tag 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 is probably another example of why we think that.”

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Cucurella’s Euro 2024 Stats

The Chelsea star won GIVEMESPORT’s Player of the Match in the final

Cucurella has been one of the most impressive defenders at the tournament this summer, enjoying a pair of clean sheets in his first two starts against Croatia and Italy, before helping La Roja to a convincing 4-1 win over Georgia in the last 16, and then playing all 120 minutes of Spain’s dramatic 2-1 victory over host nation Germany as Mikel Merino’s 118th-minute header secured the win in extra-time.

The Catalan defender carried his impressive form into the semi-final showdown against France, where Cucurella won 100 per cent of his tackles, made four ball recoveries, and four out of his five long balls reached their intended target. Because of this performance, along with Dani Olmo’s attacking excellence and Lamine Yamal’s record-breaking strike, Spain ran out as 2-1 victors, earning them a spot in the final – which de la Fuente’s side would go on to win in the same fashion.

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At the end of last season, Cucurella said: “I think this is my best form since coming to Chelsea.” It looks as if he has carried that form into international duty for Spain. Whether he can carry this red-hot form into 2024/25 with the West Londoners remains to be seen, but those of a Stamford Bridge persuasion will be looking at his performances, wide-eyed, with a grin from ear to ear.

He has formed a healthy relationship with other members of the back four – Robin Le Normand, Aymeric Laporte, and Dani Carvajal – and in seven games at this year’s European Championship, Spain have conceded just four times, which is the best defensive record of any team that qualified beyond the quarter-final stage. A lot of this is down to Chelsea’s reinvigorated full-back.

In the final, Cucurella earned GIVEMESPORT’s Player of the Match award, with his ability to muzzle Bukayo Saka playing a pivotal role in Spain’s record-breaking fourth European summit. He also assisted Mikel Oyarazabal’s winner just to rub things in further.