3 min readJun 16, 2026 04:02 PM IST
Football brings out all sorts of emotions, and a player doesn’t necessarily have to play badly to be booed – by fans of his own team. Just ask Marc Cucurella.
Not being able to dispatch World Cup debutants Cape Verde in their tournament opener in Atlanta would have been frustrating, and being continuously jeered by La Roja supporters throughout the game wouldn’t have made the Spanish left-back feel any better, even though he was one of the better performers on the day, being resolute at the back, creating chances and providing an attacking outlet.
The special treatment had nothing to do with that game. In fact, the Barcelona fans in the crowd were reacting to, in their book, the ultimate act of ‘treason’ – agreeing to join Real Madrid – for which Cucurella was branded ‘Judas’ overnight.
The defender, a product of Barcelona’s academy system, was at the club till 2020, after which he had stints with Getafe and Eibar in Spain before moving to England to play for Brighton and, since 2022, for Chelsea. The Catalan fans wouldn’t have minded but going to Los Blancos would be the ultimate betrayal. His reception on Monday shows that club loyalties run deep within fans even when they are at a World Cup supporting their national team.
However, Cucurella has some way to go before he enters the league of Luis Figo in prompting antagonism among Barca fans. When the Portuguese returned to Camp Nou as a Real player in 2002 – after a distinguished stint with the Catalan club – he had plastic bottles, coins, a whiskey glass and even a severed pig’s head thrown at him when he went to take a corner kick.
Cucurella’s reception was comparatively mild as he was the target of ‘only’ taunts and boos.
The 27-year-old Spanish footballer already had a history in being booed – but that was by opposition fans. During the 2024 European Championship quarterfinal against Germany, Cucurella handled the ball inside his own penalty area, but the referee didn’t award a penalty. Spain went on to win the match and the title, with UEFA later admitting that a spot-kick should have been given. German fans have not let Cucurella forget that incident since.
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When he returned to Stuttgart – the scene of the crime, so to speak – last year for the Nations League semifinal against France, the German audience proved that football fans have long memories.
Spain has a long way to go in the ongoing World Cup and Cucurella better brace himself for more rough treatment – from his own team’s fans – regardless of how he performs on the pitch.
