Marc Cucurella Gets Loudly Booed on Real Madrid Debut — Here's Why

Marc Cucurella made his Real Madrid debut over the weekend, but the reception in Germany was far from welcoming. The Spanish left-back, signed from Chelsea for around £51m just before the World Cup, came off the bench against Schalke 04 and was met with sustained jeers from the German crowd.

Madrid won the friendly 3-0, with Kylian Mbappe, Dean Huijsen, and Carlos Espi all finding the net. Cucurella played 29 minutes and did nothing on the pitch to draw the hostility. The boos had nothing to do with his performance.

Why German Fans Still Have Not Forgiven Cucurella

The origin of the animosity dates back to Euro 2024. In the quarter-final between Spain and Germany, Jamal Musiala struck a shot that appeared destined to trouble keeper Unai Simon before the ball struck Cucurella’s hand. Referees waved away German penalty appeals, citing that his arm was, per the official explanation, close to the side, pointing predominantly down/vertically, and/or in a position behind line of the body. German fans rejected that reasoning entirely, and Cucurella was audibly booed during Spain’s semi-final against France later in the same tournament.

After that semi-final, Cucurella addressed the crowd’s behavior directly.

“These are things that happen, I’m not to blame for anything. I don’t know what they were trying to achieve with that, but that’s the way it is.”

The situation has shown no signs of fading. When Spain faced Portugal in the Nations League final in the summer of 2025 at Munich’s Allianz Arena, the jeers for Cucurella were audible again. Playing in Gelsenkirchen for the first time as a Madrid player, the 28-year-old heard more of the same.

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Cucurella Focused Ahead of League Start

The crowd noise did not appear to affect his mood post-match. Cucurella spoke to the press with a straightforward assessment of his first minutes in a Madrid shirt.

“I’m very happy. I think it was a good game from everyone, and it’s our last result before starting the league. They’re my first minutes. It was a long wait, I’m finding my rhythm and I’m looking forward to getting started in the league.”

The left-back arrives at Madrid having won the World Cup as one of Spain’s standout players, capping a remarkable turnaround for a defender who faced serious scrutiny earlier in his career. His signing forms part of a broader rebuild under returning manager Jose Mourinho, who has also brought in Yan Diomande, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, and Bernardo Silva ahead of the 2026/27 season.

The German crowd’s long memory is unlikely to follow him into La Liga. Follow TipsGG for full coverage of Real Madrid’s season as it unfolds.