According to a report by ITV, Spain emerged victorious after defeating England in the final of Euro 2024, and Marc Cucurella made a few people eat their words with his performances for his country.
Marc Cucurella could not resist hitting out at Gary Neville after Spain's 2-1 win over England in the Euro 2024 final. The Chelsea defender was one of the stars of the tournament, recapturing the form he displayed during his season at Brighton before his £55 million move to Stamford Bridge. At the start of the tournament, Neville had identified the Spaniard as a potential weak link, even suggesting he could jeopardize Spain’s chances of winning silverware.
Speaking on ITV following Spain's 3-0 win over Croatia on June 15, Neville said: "He’s not been convincing at Chelsea, he’s played a few games towards the end of the season, he’s aggressive, he’s tenacious, he’s a busy little full-back. That price tag still, to be fair, astounds everybody I think to this day. The Spanish defense has got a lot of experience now but there’s something just missing from Spain that makes you feel like they’re going to go all the way. And I have to say, him [Cucurella] being at left-back probably is another example of why we think that."
Those words later came back to haunt the former England international. Taking to Instagram after the game, Cucurella reposted Neville's comments on his story and wrote: "We went all the way Gary. Thanks for your support." Cucurella's girlfriend, Claudia Rodriguez, also responded by reposting a photo on Instagram of the left-back celebrating with the trophy and writing: "How was your night, @gneville2?"
Spain were undoubtedly the best side in the tournament, defeating Croatia, Italy, France, Germany, and England en route to lifting the trophy. Manchester City's Rodri, who won the player of the tournament award, insisted this was the country's biggest achievement to date. "This is probably the best day of my career," he said. "We are European champions, as difficult as that is. We have become Europe’s most successful national team. Previous generations showed us the way.
In sport, as in life, when you leave it all out there, you are rewarded. We have made history, beating four former world champions in the process. We got through the toughest draw and it speaks for the mentality of the team. This has been cultivated. Many of us were champions at Under-17, Under-19, Under-21 level… (head coach) Luis de la Fuente knew what he was doing. We return to Spain tomorrow [Monday] and then we’ll be able to enjoy this with the fans who have always given us love and warmth. We’ve made history. Every footballer dreams of a moment like this. This is for everybody who believed in me from the very beginning."