Cucurella was booed and met with hostility from German fans when he made his Real Madrid debut on Sunday. The Spanish international joined Real Madrid from Chelsea at the beginning of the summer transfer window for €60 million (approximately £51.8 million). Having received extra time off after winning the World Cup with Spain in the United States, Cucurella only recently rejoined the team for training.
The left-back made his Real Madrid debut in a preseason friendly against Schalke. He came on as a substitute for Álvaro Carreras in the 61st minute and ultimately helped his team defeat their opponents 3-0.
However, at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Cucurella immediately felt the intense hostility from the home fans as soon as he stepped onto the field. Every time he touched the ball, loud boos erupted from the stands.
German fans' discontent with Cucurella stems from a controversial refereeing decision during the Euro 2024 quarter-final match between Spain and Germany.
At the time, a shot from German player Musiala struck Cucurella's arm. The German side believed it was a clear handball and should have been awarded a penalty, but referee Kenneth Taylor ruled that Cucurella's arm was in a natural position and did not award a penalty.
Spain ultimately defeated Germany in extra time and went on to win the European Championship, but the referee's decision sparked huge controversy. UEFA later admitted that Germany should have been awarded a penalty.
This controversy has made Cucurella a "controversial figure" in the eyes of many German fans. Some fans have even started a petition demanding a rematch of the European Championship, which has garnered over 350,000 signatures.
Subsequently, Cucurella was booed multiple times at matches in Germany.
Despite the controversy, Cucurella remained unaffected. He stated that joining Real Madrid was a reward for his years of hard work: "I'm very happy. I've put in a lot of effort for this moment, and all the perseverance over the years has been worth it. I'm happy with everything that's happened to me, and I hope this feeling continues—to win championships. Most importantly, I hope to enjoy this experience."
Previously, Cucurella had also spoken about his feelings when responding to boos from German fans during the European Championship.
He said, "I first realized this when my name was announced before the game and a lot of people started whistling. I thought about it for a moment and realized it was because of the handball incident. I didn't pay much attention to it, but to be honest, I was a little sad. Because some people came to the stadium just to boo a player."
