Fans believe they understand why Spanish player Marc Cucurella was repeatedly booed during their Nations League final match on Sunday night. The Euro 2024 champions, under by Luis de la Fuente, played Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal to determine if La Roja could defend their UEFA Nations League title.
The same thing happened against Didier Deschamps’ France in the semi-finals, when the full-back, who plays for Premier League side Chelsea, was jeered throughout the game, with fans assuming they had figured out why. That didn’t stop those inside the stadium from taunting him as he prepared to face Roberto Martinez’s team in the final.
Theory Behind Why Cucurella Was Booed During Nations League Semi-Final
The game was held in Germany.
On Thursday and Sunday evenings, the full-back was booed by the fans anytime he touched the ball, generating questions about the reaction. And many seems to have figured out that the emotional reaction stemmed from an incident that occurred during last summer’s European Championship campaign.
Cucurella was involved in a contentious moment during a tense quarter-final match between Spain and Germany that went into extra time, when he appeared to stop a shot with his hand. Despite the Germans’ protestations, the referee decided not to give a penalty.
Spain would win the match 2-1, with Merino scoring a thrilling goal in the dying stages. With Thursday’s game taking place in the MHPArena in Stuttgart, it is evident that the locals in attendance had neither forgotten nor forgiven the defender nearly a year after the controversial decision.
Cucurella addressed the matter after being targeted by booing during Spain’s Euro 2024 semi-final triumph over France, telling Cadena Cope: “These are things that happen, I’m not to blame for anything.”
He went on: “I’m not sure what they were trying to accomplish with that, but that’s how it is. The most important thing is that we’ve advanced to the final.
xz
