Wigs, memes, songs: Welcome to Spain’s summer time of Cucurella

COLOGNE, Germany — Whether or not at Spain’s Euro 2024 coaching camp in Der Öschberghof within the Black Forest or on a tram to considered one of their video games in Germany, one participant has emerged because the central determine: Marc Cucurella.

For the 1-0 group-stage win towards Italy in Gelsenkirchen, Spain supporter Juanma Romero and 4 associates all sported wigs in admiration of the Chelsea left-back’s trademark lengthy hair. “The Cucurella Boys,” Romero wrote on X with a picture of them posing contained in the Enviornment AufSchalke.

The Cucurella Boys pic.twitter.com/cKWhlRLfr7

— Juanma Romero (@Guardiolato) June 20, 2024

By the point Spain performed their third and closing group recreation towards Albania, the wigs had multiplied. They have been not simply in black, both, but additionally in Spain purple and yellow. A bunch of Germany followers had even adopted Cucurella’s hair for the sport and, at any given alternative, led Spanish supporters in chants of “Cucu-rella” on the tram on the best way to the Enviornment Düsseldorf.

The wigs and chants have come accompanied with memes and songs. One meme is easy: legendary Brazil left-back Roberto Carlos with Cucurella’s hair superimposed on his head. “We’re alike in every little thing besides the hair,” Cucurella joked this week in an interview with Spanish media.

The identical themes have developed at Spain’s base within the south of Germany. Midfielder Mikel Merino stated the memes have been handed across the gamers’ WhatsApp group. “They’re humorous,” Cucurella added.

‼️ Cucurella reacciona a sus memes.

😂 “¿Roberto Carlos? Nos parecemos en todo menos en el pelo”. pic.twitter.com/6ic0TjY7RV

— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) June 23, 2024

There may be additionally a TikTok music that has gone viral. The singer, Adri Navarro, has hair like Cucurella and sings in regards to the Spain full-back, in Spanish: “Cucu Cucu-rella, he eats paella; Cucu Cucu-rella, he drinks Estrella; Erling Haaland trembles, when he sees Cucurella.”

Cucurella, taking part in mini golf along with his teammates this week, misplaced a guess to Spain captain Álvaro Morata and needed to sing the music in entrance of his teammates, sparking roars of laughter at a base camp which is more and more rising in confidence forward of Spain’s round-of-16 assembly with Georgia on Sunday.

“If I putted, Morata would sing and if not, I might,” Cucurella instructed COPE. “It wasn’t a troublesome putt and I’m deadly at mini golf, in a great way, so I assumed it was simple, however I felt the stress.”

Behind the wigs, memes, songs and missed putts, although, is a participant having an excellent match towards the percentages in Germany — particularly given he was anticipated to play a backup position to Bayer Leverkusen’s Alejandro Grimaldo who was coming off the again of a stellar unbeaten season with the German aspect.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville, a pundit for ITV in England, stated earlier than the finals began that it felt like “one thing was lacking” for Spain to go all the best way and that “having Cucurella at left-back might be one of many examples of that.”

It’s an opinion that has not aged effectively thus far on this match, however one that may not have been unusual earlier than a ball had been kicked in Spain’s first recreation towards Croatia.

Cucurella, 25, has had an attention-grabbing profession. Extremely rated at Barcelona, he by no means fairly made the grade on the Catalan membership the place he made only one first-team look, with spells at Eibar and Getafe ultimately taking him to the Premier League and Brighton & Hove Albion. A €65 million transfer to Chelsea in 2022 adopted, after a single season at Brighton noticed him stand out, however issues did not instantly click on in London and the price of the switch has haunted him ever since.

“He is tenacious and aggressive, however that price ticket nonetheless astounds all people to this present day,” Neville added.

Final summer time, Cucurella was near a transfer to Manchester United on mortgage, however the deal fell by means of. In September, ESPN reported that Chelsea have been open to presents for him to depart completely in January. However, in the long run, that by no means occurred as a result of he bought injured.

In the beginning of this 12 months, due to this fact, a spot in Spain’s XI for Euro 2024 appeared unattainable. But right here he’s; one of many revelations of the match thus far. Every part modified in March, when he returned from harm and received his place again in Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea aspect and he ended the season taking part in 90 minutes in 12 successive Premier League video games.

These performances earned him what was successfully a debut for Spain. His first look for the senior aspect technically got here in June 2021, when the Underneath-21s have been known as as much as change the primary workforce because of the COVID-19 pandemic, nevertheless it was not till March of this 12 months, in a pleasant towards Brazil, that he’ll really feel he made his actual debut.

His third and fourth caps got here in pre-tournament friendlies towards Andorra and Northern Eire. Then, he was thrown in for the Euro 2024 opener towards Croatia in Berlin, picked forward of Grimaldo.

There are doubts over whether or not Cucurella would even have been within the squad if Valencia’s Jose Luis Gaya and Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde had been match, however his fortune may also be Spain’s. Cucurella is probably the most effective defensively out of that quartet of choices and, as Spain progressed with three clear sheets, he has justified his choice.

In opposition to Croatia he produced one excellent goal-line block, nevertheless it was towards Italy that he actually stood out. Cucurella accomplished 51/51 passes, received 10 duels, made seven ball recoveries, and was not dribbled previous as soon as. He was the right foil for winger Nico Williams, who was capable of trigger havoc forward of him on the left flank.

“He was magnificent in all points of his recreation,” stated Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, who coached Cucurella on the Olympic Video games in 2021 and through his tenure as U21 boss.

Diario AS known as him a “fabulous discovery” after that show towards Italy. Marca, of their participant rankings, stated he was “the right mixture of Marcelo and Ferland Mendy.” Their score out of 10? “10… 11 even.” No notes.

“He’s extra defensive, he additionally performed as a left-sided centre-back at instances at Chelsea,” Grimaldo, who ultimately got here into the aspect for the ultimate group recreation towards Albania as Cucurella was rested, stated in a information convention this week. “I’m extra attacking. On the finish of the day, we’re each left-backs however with totally different profiles. And we may help in numerous phases of the sport relying on what coach feels handy.

“There is no such thing as a rivalry; we’re associates and it’s wholesome competitors. The place is effectively lined and whoever performs will assist the workforce. We now have the identical goal.”

That goal is to win Euro 2024. After strolling by means of the group stage with three wins and three clear sheets — the primary time Spain have ever achieved that in a significant match — they tackle Georgia, the lowest-ranked workforce within the match, in Cologne this weekend. They’ve ended up on the identical aspect of the draw as Germany, Portugal, France and Belgium, although, so harder duties will comply with in the event that they progress.

If Spain do handle to go all the best way, although, Cucurella is more likely to stay the centre of consideration — in spite of everything, he is promised to dye his lengthy hair purple if Spain raise the trophy for a fourth time in Berlin on July 14.