During the semi-final between Spain and France, Marc Cucurella was booed mercilessly by German fans. He took it calmly, but the German and Spanish press reacted with incomprehension.
The sting of the DFB team’s elimination against Spain is evidently still very deep for many German fans. And the culprit was clear, at least in the eyes of a few thousand in Munich’s Allianz Arena: Marc Cucurella. The Spanish defender was booed mercilessly and throughout the entire game in the European Championship semi-final against Spain.
The background: During the quarter-final against Germany, 25-year-old Cucurella was hit by a shot from Jamal Musiala on his hand, which was not directly on his body. No penalty was awarded for this; Germany was eliminated 2-1 after extra time. There were already whistles at the line-up in the Munich Arena when the name of Cucurella, who is under contract with Chelsea, was called.
The German described the whistling in the stands as “embarrassing, silly” and “unworthy of a good host”. The Spanish press was surprised by the whistling: “The German fans are obviously assuming that the blame lies with the alleged perpetrator and not with the English referee Anthony Taylor, who is responsible for awarding a penalty – if it was one,” wrote the .
Cucurella himself remains calm after Spain’s victory
“I don’t know why he was booed,” said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente after the game. “What they did was motivate him even more. He is a professional and knows how to handle pressure.” The people who whistled did not represent the sport or Germany. Germany was an exceptional host, de la Fuente continued.
And Cucurella himself? He remains calm. When asked about the debate, he commented on ZDF: “It doesn’t matter to me. We have to stay focused. If it’s talked about, it’s part of the game.” The Spanish fans reacted to the whistles, cheered loudly and initiated several “Cucurella” chants for the defender.
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He doesn’t care anyway: Spain is still on course for the title and will face the winner of the second semi-final between England and the Netherlands in the European Championship final in Berlin on Sunday.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
