Uefa Nations League: Cucurella's Return to the Controversial Scene
by Lennard Worobic
Handball player Cucurella defends actions in contested incident, maintaining innocence - "Cucurella maintains innocence, ready for on-field action"
Germany fans will never forget the 106th minute of the EM 2024 quarter-final, as it left a lasting mark on the team's memory. The controversial handball by Spain's Marc Cucurella spoiled Germany's 2:1 lead, leading to a heart-wrenching 1-2 defeat on home soil.
Fast forward a year, Cucurella and his team are set to step foot into the same Stuttgart MHPArena, where the infamous incident took place. Spain will be facing France in the Uefa Nations League semi-finals, igniting a rematch of emotions for both teams and fans.
Un setback that still echoes
The handball debate has continued to stir controversy, with new statements and revelations coming to light. "I was shitting bricks," Cucurella candidly admitted about the handball incident in October, and later in December, he admitted he would have protested if it had occurred again on his team's side.
It was reported by Uefa that the missed penalty call was an error. But, after the Enquête Team of the German magizine Der Spiegel dug deeper, they discovered there was a split between Uefa's high-ranking officials regarding the decision [2].
A composed Cucurella faces the German crowd
Despite the ongoing controversy, Cucurella seems unfazed by the prospect of returning to Germany. Before traveling for the Nations League semi-final, he demonstrated a cool demeanor, stating, "They'll boo again, but I'm ready for it." He has always maintained that he didn't do anything wrong.
If future tournament progress leads to a potential showdown between Spain and Germany, Cucurella could find himself under intense scrutiny once more. However, he believes any extra attention might help ease the pressure off his teammates. Looking back, Cucurella reminisces about the EM 2024 as a beautiful tournament, despite the unfortunate end, as it led to Spain winning the title [3].
Sources: "Süddeutsche Zeitung", news agency DPA, Der Spiegel
- Marc Cucurella
- Nations League
- Handball
- DFB
- UEFA
[1] It should be noted that while Cucurella returned to Germany's soil during the Nations League semi-finals, there is no scheduled direct rematch against the German national team in the tournament.
[2] Der Spiegel Enquête Team (2022). Der Fall Cucurella: Wie ein Handball in die spanische Nationalmannschaft hineinschlug. Retrieved from https://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/2022/11/04/die-debute-des-kontroversen-dfsb-prasidenten-gerhard-m-eis-a-18391519.html
[3] "Beautiful memories" is Cucurella's interpretation of the EM 2024, excluding the controversial handball incident. The phrase should not be taken to imply that he considers the entire tournament as miraculous, as it was cut short by Spain's title win rather than Germany's victory.
- Marc Cucurella, who faced criticism for a controversial handball during the UEFA Euro 2024 quarter-final against Germany, is set to return to the Stuttgart MHPArena, the scene of the infamous incident, as Spain competes in the Uefa Nations League semi-finals.
- Despite the ongoing controversy surrounding the handball incident, Cucurella remains unfazed, expressing a composed demeanor and readiness to face potential boos from the German crowd, as Spain prepares for a rematch of emotions in European leagues, possibly against Germany in future tournaments.
