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Marc Cucurella was one of Real Madrid’s star signings of the summer, and he went on to produce a stellar World Cup performance after his official transfer to the Spanish club.
He arrived from Chelsea as a big-money signing with massive expectations, especially given that he arrived just one year after the club spent big on Alvaro Carreras.
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His start to the season at Real Madrid was decent, but cracks have started to appear in recent games and he has been far from his best.
On duty with the Spanish national team last night, however, he produced a great performance against Croatia to help his side to a 4-1 win.
Spain NT manager praises Cucurella
The La Roja boss heaped praise on Cucurella. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)
Speaking to the media via AS after Spain’s stunning 4-1 win over Croatia, Luis de La Fuente heaped serious praise on Real Madrid’s Marc Cucurella for his performance on the night.
“He is sensational,” the manager began.
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He then likened the defender’s case to that of several other players in the La Roja setup who perform better for their country than for their club.
“With us, something happens that we see with many players.”
“When they join the national team, they transform. Some sometimes show a level far superior to what they show at their club,” he added.
De La Fuente then attempted to reason out the queer phenomenon and narrowed it down to the style of play.
“Perhaps because they feel very comfortable here, because our style suits them perfectly.”
A lot to prove for Real Madrid
Cucurella has to step it up with Real Madrid. (Photo by Francisco Macia/Getty Images)
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While Cucurella has indeed been splendid in all his recent appearances for Spain, the player has not reached the same level for Real Madrid since his big-money move in the summer.
He arrived amid shouts as one of the best left-backs in the world, and continues to show the same level on national team duty. For club, however, he has largely looked overwhelmed and defensively unreliable.
His performance in the Madrid derby, in particular, was disastrous and Atletico Madrid made the wing their own for the better part of the night. With Alvaro Carreras delivering solidly in his limited minutes, the pressure is seriously on Cucurella to step up and begin delivering.
