Marc Cucurella’s Real Madrid debut was not entirely straightforward, despite the Spanish international helping his new side secure a comfortable 3-0 victory over Schalke 04.
The left-back was among two Real Madrid players targeted by sections of the home support, with Vinicius Jr. also receiving abuse during the match.
For Cucurella, however, the hostile reaction appeared to come from an incident that Germany fans have clearly not forgotten.
Still, the whistles did little to spoil his evening, as Cucurella came off the bench in the 61st minute to replace Alvaro Carreras and left Germany pleased with his first appearance in the famous white shirt.
Why was Cucurella booed?
The reaction towards Cucurella appears to have its roots in Spain’s meeting with Germany at Euro 2024.
During the quarter-final, the ball struck Cucurella’s hand inside the penalty area, but referee Anthony Taylor decided against awarding Germany a penalty.
Spain eventually won the contest 2-1, booking their place in the next round.
The incident remained a major talking point in Germany, particularly after UEFA later acknowledged that a penalty should have been awarded.
Since then, Cucurella has continued to receive boos from German supporters whenever he has played in the country, and the Real Madrid friendly against Schalke proved no different.
Every touch was met with a hostile response from sections of the crowd, but the new Real Madrid signing did not allow the atmosphere to affect his performance.
Vinicius was also subjected to abuse during the match, making for an uncomfortable backdrop to what was otherwise a positive final test for Real Madrid before the start of the new season.
Cucurella delighted despite hostile reception
Cucurella entered the match in the second half, replacing Carreras in the 61st minute, and was able to get his first minutes as a Real Madrid player.
Cucurella was booed by Schalke fans. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)
Speaking after the game, the left-back made it clear that the reception from the Schalke fans had not taken away from what was a memorable personal occasion.
“Very happy. It was a great game from everyone. Great result. I’m really looking forward to it. The wait felt long.”
The Spain international also spoke about how he had adapted to his new surroundings, crediting the quality of the Real Madrid squad for making his first appearance easier.
On his experience on the pitch, Cucurella added: “I felt very good. Easy with these teammates.”
His debut came just days before Real Madrid are due to begin their La Liga campaign, giving him an early opportunity to understand the demands and rhythm of his new team.